Time To Start Over Again
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Thanks to her divorce lawyer, Zelena, Rumple's divorce from Milah costs him his magic and his money. He has to get an apartment at Granny's, start wearing denim, and making friends with dwarfs, but it's help from Neal and a job at the library with Belle that start to give Rumple the courage to pick up the pieces and try again.
1. Drained Of Power

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine.

"And what is it that I can do for you today?" Rumple asked David as he strode into the shop. "Can I give you a trinket? Would you care to make a deal?"

"Actually, I came because I'm worried about you," David said, leaning against the counter. "I know you and your wife are working on getting divorced and I heard she just hired a really ruthless divorce lawyer. One that's notorious for taking people for all they have."

"Thank you for your concern," Rumple told him. "But my wife doesn't scare me. Not anymore. I have my magic, I have my wealth, what can she possibly do to frighten me?"

But then the phone rang. Rumple answered it, talked for a little bit, then threw the phone back down as he felt something like an electric shock go through his body. He was also standing in an empty shop, and no matter what Rumple tried to do with his magic, it didn't work.

"What happened?" David asked.

"Nothing," Rumple told him curtly. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Now if you're not going to buy anything, go on your merry way, would you? I'd like to be alone."

"All right," David nodded, even though Rumple's tone told him that the last thing he should be was alone. He left and instead of going back to the police station, headed straight to Archie's.

Once Rumple was left alone, he tried one more time to do magic and then, with a grunt of frustration, began hitting what he could with his cane. Soon, windows and doors were broken, glass shards were everywhere, and the checkout counter had deep cracks in it.

"My god," David said when he opened the door, his jaw dropping. "What _happened_ here?"

"They…they took everything," Rumple replied, collapsing. "My magic, my things…I have nothing! Anything that showed my power over others has disappeared, thanks to my shrew wife and her horrible divorce lawyer who want to make me as powerless as possible." He put his head in his hands on the counter. "What am I going to do?" He began to sob in earnest and both David and Archie looked at one another, trying to decide who would approach the broken man first.

Archie won (or lost, depending on how you looked at it) and he came and put a hand on Rumple's shoulder. "Would you like to come to my office and talk about it?" He asked. "I'm sure we can work something out for you. Don't give up hope yet."

"And why not?" Rumple demanded. "What is there left for me to hope for? I have nothing. I can't expect any sort of help from anyone to rebuild my life. If anyone found out, they would probably all laugh behind my back, which is exactly what my wife and that lawyer of hers, Zelena, were hoping would happen when they did this!"

"Now, now," Archie told him. "It doesn't help to assume things. I'm sure that if we explained the situation, people would be more than happy to help you out. Let's just try. Can we do that, please?"

"Oh, all right," Rumple sighed irritably. "But when all we're met with is rejection, don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Much to Rumple's surprise (and annoyance, cause he hated to see Archie be proven right), people did help him. Apparently, he was not the only one Zelena and her ways had victimized and that made people sympathize with him.

He even got a room at Granny's, although the woman was reluctant to give it to him, he could tell.

"Don't mind her," Ruby comforted him as she brought him sheets for the bed. "She's still a little sore about how high you made the rent, but she'll get over it." She opened the door to the closet and the drawers of the dresser. "There are clothes in here too," she informed him. "Not the suits you're used to, but trying a new look can be good sometimes."

"T-thank you," Rumple got out as he sat down on the bed. "Thank you for your help. And tell your grandmother too, please. I'm sure she would think me insincere if I said anything."

"You're welcome," Ruby said with a smile. "And it won't be forever. Things will get better, you know."

She left and Rumple lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the little room until a knock on his door made him sit up.

"Who is it?" He called.

The door opened without answer and Rumple sat up as Leroy and a few of the other dwarfs came into the room. "We heard you've fallen on bad times," Leroy told him.

"If I have, what's it to you?" Rumple wanted to know. "Have you come to gloat?"

"No," Leroy shook his head. "We were actually wondering if you wanted to come downstairs with us for a drink. You look like you need it."

"All right," Rumple nodded. "I suppose a glass or two of something wouldn't hurt."

They went down to have a few drinks and when he got back, he'd just shut the door behind him when he heard a knock again. "Who is it?" Rumple grumbled.

"It's David," David called from the other side of the door. "May I come in? I have more good news for you."

" _More_ good news?" Rumple asked. "That would mean I had good news to start out with, but I don't know if that's what you'd call this. Come in anyway, though."

"I came to tell you that I found a job for you," David said as he sat down next to Rumple on the bed. "It won't make you the sort of money you had when you could spin gold, but…at least you'll have income."

Rumple sighed. "What's the job?" He asked, running his fingers through his dark hair. "You're not going to make me pursue evil with you, are you? Because honestly, that's really not my area of expertise."

"No," David shook his head. "I think it would be easier on both of us if you stayed away from my area, although of course I _am_ willing to help you in other ways. No, the job offer has come from Miss French at the library. I, of course, would not dream of answering for you, but…would you like to take her up on it? I would. No one has put forth any other offers."

"You're not lying to me, are you?" Rumple asked. He and Belle had talked for a while, but he'd never been brave enough to make a move. "Did…did Belle really request my help at the library?"

"She did," David nodded. "Can I tell her that you accept?"

"Yes, please," Rumple nodded. "I just need to freshen up and I'll be around to meet her soon."

"All right," David nodded. "I'll let her know." He paused. "And I heard that you were downstairs drinking with the dwarfs. Is that true? I'm glad you're making friends."

"I wouldn't say we're _friends,_ " Rumple corrected as he grabbed a towel and opened the door to the bath. "But I would never turn down a drink. When you see Belle, give her my regards, will you?"

"Yes," David nodded. "I will."

* * *

Rumple felt somewhat self-conscious as he headed into the library. Although he was clean and well-groomed, instead of his usual suits, he wore jeans, scruffy white tennis shoes, and a loose white button-down shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to the bend in his arm. He cast hunted glances around as people stared at him, and when he made it to the circulation desk, he let out a breath he was holding and leaned against the counter as he rang the small silver bell to call for Miss French and let her know that he'd come.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the back room, smiling when she saw him. "I'm so glad you came!" She said, and, to his surprise, gave him a hug. "I was hoping you would."

"You were?" Rumple asked as she pulled away and gave her a small grin. "Well, that's very kind, thank you. Now, what is it that you'd like me to do here?"

Belle shrugged. "Whatever I can think of. But I think it will mostly be checking out books and giving people library cards. Not exactly the most exciting work, I know, but it'll give you something to do besides sitting in your room at Granny's and being sad."

Rumple said, "Oh, you underestimate yourself, Belle. I'm sure I'll have plenty of exciting times here."

"Good," Belle smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that." She then handed him a bag of books that he put over the arm that didn't hold his cane. "Come with me and I'll show you how to shelve those."

"All right," Rumple smiled. He was unsure of how well he could do this job, but if Belle believed he could, he wouldn't disappoint her.

He put the books down by the shelves and started to take one out before confessing to Belle, "I don't know if I can do this. My cane, you see…my foot…"

"Oh, I know about that," Belle assured him. "Trust me, we'll make it work."

So Rumple took a book out and reached for its spot on the shelf, surprised to feel Belle's grip around his waist. "There," she said with a smile. "Now you won't fall down. I've got you, Rumplestiltskin."

"Thank you," Rumple told her and gave a small laugh. "Thank you, Belle."

After the books were shelved, Belle showed Rumple the circulation desk and how to check out books and issue library cards.

"I like this better," Rumple smiled as he spun around in his chair.

"Do you want me to be here for your first couple of checkouts?" Belle asked. "Or do you feel you're prepared?"

"I can do it," Rumple assured her. "You can go about doing your other work."

"All right," Belle smiled. "Good luck."

But only half an hour later, he was passionately wishing he would have taken Belle up on her offer to stay.

"You can't seriously be thinking of reading this!" He yelled at Robin Hood who came to check out a copy of _Moby Dick._ "That's way too long for you! And when did you learn to read when you were living in the forest?"

And when Victor came in with a late book, Rumple came out from behind the desk and whacked him with his cane. "Do you not have any respect for the dates inside of these books?" He yelled. "They say when you're supposed to return them. They are not negotiable! Do you understand?"

"Rumple!" Belle yelled, coming to put a hand on his shoulder as Victor twitched and bled on the floor. "You have to stop that now. What's going on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Belle," Rumple apologized. "You just work so hard to make sure these people are well-read and they can't even remember to return their books on time. That _infuriates_ me!"

"That's what fines are for," Belle told him and led him away from the circulation desk. "Maybe we shouldn't have you work at the desk until you've had more time to recover from what you've been through. Would you like me to take you home so you can lie down?"

"Y-yes," Rumple nodded, his breathing hard. "That might be best."

* * *

So Belle walked him home and they sat on his bed for a bit.

"I don't know if I'm going to be all right," he said. "All this…this change, it's a bit of a shock."

"You'll do just fine," Belle told him. "We'll get you some new curtains, put some records on, and then everything will be good as new."

"Maybe," Rumple nodded. "Would you…would you come and visit me sometime? I think that would help."

"Of course," Belle replied. Then she stood up. "I-I probably should be getting back to work. Is there anything I can do for you before I go?"

"No, thank you, Belle," Rumple shook his head. "You've done quite enough for me already. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Belle replied. "Will I still see you at the library tomorrow?"

"If you still want me after my outburst, of course you will," Rumple nodded.

She then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and said, "It's going to be all right, you know."

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

After she left, he decided to make a call to Archie.

"I was wondering if you would call me," Archie replied. "I heard about the incident at the library. Are you all right?"

"I'm better than Whale is at the moment," Rumple replied. "But I suppose you'd like to come over and lecture me about how that's not the right way to behave."

"I'm sure you know that by now so there's no need for me to tell you again," Archie told him. "You're going through a difficult time of change and there will be stress. You're having to learn to live your life all over again without the things that have defined it for so many years: your power and your wealth. I know it will be hard for you, especially with your past, but I really think you can do it if you try. Don't give up because that won't help you at all. That will just make things worse. All you have to do is find something to hold onto. A bright spot a goal. Can you do that on your own, or do we need to talk about it in session?"

"No, I have an idea of what to do," Rumple assured him as visions of Belle floated in front of his eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Hopper."

"You're welcome," Archie replied. "And if you need anything else, you know my number."

Rumple then hung up and thought to himself that he really _did_ feel much better. What Milah and Zelena had done had been a shock, but it wasn't the end of the world. It was just the steep price he paid for being married to a woman that cared nothing for him, only for his power and money. Now, without it, he would be able to be with Belle, someone who cared for him: his good parts and his bad parts. And as he worked on picking up the pieces of his life again, she would help him know what it was truly like to be loved.

Feeling a sudden burst of energy, he did what he could to fix up his tiny apartment. He put some music on as Belle suggested and cleaned the best he could. He was in the middle of dusting when there was a knock at the door. He opened it and there stood Belle with a bag and beverage caddie in hand that held two cups of iced tea.

"I was just getting off of work and I wondered…I wondered if you'd like to have dinner," she said. "I know I just invited myself, so if you're busy, I'll go, but…"

"No, no!" Rumple shook his head. "Come in, please. The dusting can wait."

They sat down on the sofa and she passed him a burger and a tea. "I hope you like these," she said. "I love them."

"I do too," Rumple replied going to find a napkin for his lap even though he didn't think grease stains would make his jeans any worse.

"I see you did some redecorating," she said when he came back. "This place looks very nice."

"I'm glad you like it," Rumple told her and then took a bite of his burger and a swig of his tea. "It looked awful before. And thanks for the dinner. This is much nicer than sitting downstairs at a table by myself and being stared at."

"You're welcome," Belle smiled. "We can do it every night if you want. I wouldn't mind."

Rumple smiled. "I wouldn't mind either." He put his burger down and went to open the window so they could watch the sunset from the sofa, and as they did so, Belle let him put his arm around her while she rested her head on his shoulder and he began to think that yes, this definitely wouldn't be so bad after all.

 **more to come!  
**


	2. Calling For Backup

"Well, well, well, rise and shiney! We have to talk." Rumple woke up at the sound of the cold, wicked voice and covered himself up with the blanket.

"Isn't that cute?" Milah asked Zelena as they both stood at the edge of the bed and smirked at him. "Terrified and still thinks a blanket will protect him."

"What do you want?" Rumple asked, moving the blanket and then getting out of bed to stand as straight as he could. "Tell me and get out. Although, I don't know what more I can do for you, since you've taken me for everything I own. Everything that meant something to me." He was careful not to mention his relationship with Belle because if he did, they would probably hurt her too. "So, you best be on your way."

"He hasn't done it," Zelena smiled at Milah. "I told you he wouldn't do it."

"Do what?" Rumple asked.

"Try your magic again!" Zelena smiled, and bounced on her heels a little. "Try it! Try it!"

So Rumple tried it again and to his amazement, his powers worked. "They're working now!" He cried. Then he eyed the pair at the foot of his bed suspiciously. "Why did you give me my powers back?"

"The spell we used was only short term just to see if it would work or not," Zelena explained. "You'll be powerless and free to live in this…" she looked around and her nose crinkled "…this hovel as long as you like. We'll be going now. Have a nice day."

"Just a minute!" Rumple cried and then shot a spell of indeterminate nature in Milah's direction. She dropped to the floor and was still. Rumple was savoring his vengeance, but then realized that after that burst of magic, he couldn't cast anything else.

"Are you all right?" Zelena asked as she helped Milah to her feet. "I told you he would fall for that."

"Now we just have to make sure it worked," Milah replied, and Rumple watched with wide eyes as the magic that was once his shot out of Milah's fingers and came toward him. He managed to avoid it just in time but fell over in the process, which caused Milah and Zelena to laugh again.

"We really should go now," Zelena said when she got her breath. "There are so many other things we could do now that you have magic."

"You know, you're right," Milah replied and gave Rumple a dismissive sniff. "I definitely have better things to do with my time than waste it here."

They left Rumple on the floor of the room and went to cause all sorts of trouble. When he got to his feet, he thought to himself about how to deal with this. Without magic, he obviously couldn't do much, but he had to do _something._ After some thought, he decided to call his son. Neal was out and about a lot, but their relationship had improved drastically and he was never more than a phone call away at any time. Now was no different.

"What is it, Papa?" Neal asked when he heard his father's voice. "Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'No' to some help," Rumple replied. "I'm having some trouble with your mother and I think…I think I could use some of those skills you learned when you had to keep yourself alive on the streets."

"I've been waiting for you to call me about something like this," Neal sighed. "Ever since you told me you and she were divorcing, I knew it wouldn't go well. Do you need me to come and keep you company? I'm not doing anything at the moment because I got Aladdin's magic lamp put in safe-keeping just yesterday. I would be glad to." Neal had a job looking for and protecting rare magical objects that would be ill-used in the wrong hands. His travels kept him away from his father and his son Henry, but he kept in touch with letters and phone calls.

"All right," Rumple nodded. "I've been kicked out of the shop by your mother and her lawyer and have had to take a room at Granny's. I have an extra bed, or you could find a place of your own, whichever you prefer."

"Oh, I think that with what you're up against, I think it would be good for me to stay as close as possible, don't you?" Neal asked.

"That sounds good to me," Rumple agreed. "I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either, Papa," Neal told him before ending the call.

Now that he knew Neal was coming to back him up, Rumple felt much better about the situation. He headed down to the diner, ordered himself some cocoa, and thought about what to do next.

When Emma came to sit next to him, he gladly moved over a little to give her a seat. "How are you doing?" She asked. "Is the room working out?"

"Oh, yes," Rumple nodded. "I feel much better about my situation. Oh, and here's something that might be of interest to you: I called my son and told him what happened. He said that he would come and stay until this whole mess is over with."

"He did?" Emma asked, her hand going up involuntarily to straighten her hair. "When is he going to be here?"

"He said he would try and be here as soon as he can," Rumple smiled. "I wanted to give you fair warning so you could prepare yourself and tell Henry."

"Oh, of course," Emma nodded. "Henry will be thrilled. He loved reading the letter that talked about Neal getting the lamp and I bet he'll be even happier to hear the story from him in person."

"We should all be together once my son arrives," Rumple suggested. "A nice family gathering would do wonders for keeping my mind off my troubles."

"All right," Emma nodded. "Sounds wonderful. I can't wait."

* * *

"You seem like you're in a much better mood than usual," Belle remarked as Rumple checked in a group of books on the day Neal was to arrive and then waved off the patron with a cheerful 'Goodbye'. "What's going on?"

"You shouldn't have to ask that," Rumple smiled at her. "Any time I get to see you, it's a good day." He paused. "That and my son is coming to stay with me and help me deal with this whole mess."

"Would I…would you mind bringing me to meet him?" Belle asked. "I would love to."

"Of course!" Rumple replied. "We just have to get through this work day and then I'll take you."

Belle took a pile of books and said, "Come on, let's go shelve these."

"All right," Rumple smiled. They worked together to shelve the books and then Belle gave him a deep kiss. Despite the fact that shelving was difficult for him, the kisses she would always give him afterward made it worthwhile.

* * *

After they closed up for the night, they went to meet Neal at the café.

"This is Belle," Rumple introduced her. "She was kind enough to give me a job at the library so I'm not entirely destitute."

"Thank you for helping my father," Neal replied and shook her hand, his dark eyes warm. "I appreciate it as much as he does."

"It's no trouble, really," Belle smiled and rested her head on Rumple's shoulder. "He really does help me as much as I help him."

They had hamburgers and then headed to Emma and Henry's house.

"Dad!" Henry cried, throwing his arms around Neal. "I'm so glad you're here! Tell me the story of how you got the lamp again. Please?"

"Of course," Neal told him. "Just let me have a seat first, all right?"

"All right," Henry nodded before going to greet Rumple and Belle.

When everyone was sitting down with drinks in hand, Neal began to recount again the story of how he got Aladdin's lamp and managed to keep it safe.

"Was there actually a genie in it?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," Neal shrugged. "I didn't want to risk finding out."

"Why not?" Henry asked. "I would. All those wishes!" He rubbed his hands together.

"Be careful what you wish for, buddy," Neal warned with a smile. "Things don't always turn out the way you expect."

"Indeed," Rumple smiled. "All magic comes with a price." He paused, his thoughts drifting to his current situation. "Actually, it's not actually just magic that comes with a price," he said ruefully. "Lots of other things do too."

"Don't worry about Milah and the witch," Emma told him. "David and I are already on that. Milah used her magic to rob a jewelry store today and last I heard, she was locked up."

"That's good," Rumple sighed. "But who knows how long it will last?"

"Well, if it goes wrong, we'll just think of something else," Emma said and put a supportive hand on his arm. "We're all here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."

"Thank you," Rumple said, looking at her thoughtfully. He could really tell she meant it. For one of the first times in his memory, Emma Swan was willing to help him, not because she owed him a favor, but just because she wanted to. It was nice.

When Henry yawned and Emma told him it was time for bed, that's when the party split up. Rumple took Belle home and saw her to her door, then he and Neal began setting up their living arrangements.

"I know I said it before, but…I'm really glad you're here, son," Rumple told Neal as he watched him make his bed. "Thank you for coming."

"You're welcome, Papa," Neal replied and straightened his sheet. He then got into bed and Rumple pulled the sheets over him and gave him a kiss goodnight. "Sleep well," he said as Neal shut his eyes. Then Rumple made his way to his own bed, tucked himself in, shut off the light, and drifted into sound sleep for the first time since this whole mess had happened.


	3. Picking Sides

"Well, well, look who it is," Milah smiled as she sat down next to Neal who was eating pancakes in a booth at Granny's. "Mind if I sit?"

Neal nearly spit out his coffee as the smell of her perfume made him gag. "What is it you want?" He asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in jail? How did you get out?"

"Let's just say I got time off for good behavior," she giggled. "You know, Zelena really was right. Just act sorry, pretend to cry and they'll let you out of anything, won't they?" She pushed the plate toward him. "Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

"Don't you talk to me," Neal breathed. "You have no right to talk to me like that." He stood up. "I'm taking you back. It's the right thing to do."

"Oh, now really, Baelfire," Milah clicked her tongue. "Is that the right way to talk to your mother?"

"You can't call yourself my mother," Neal replied. "I know you weren't in my life for long, but I'm not without memories of you. How when you did take care of me, you were angry and sullen. Resentful. How as soon as Papa came home, you'd run off to the tavern and I wouldn't see you again until Papa begged you to come back, and even then it was only reluctantly. I know our lives were hard, but…it wasn't right for you to take it out on me. I was just a kid."

Milah sighed, her expression much softer than she'd probably intended. "My quarrel was never with you," she said. "I know I hurt you. But it was always your father I was angry at. How he was a coward. How we were poor. How everyone in town thought we were terrible people, all because of him."

"Yes, and I bet your drinking and hanging around with men you weren't married to at the tavern didn't help much with the family reputation either," Neal pointed out. "Don't get me wrong. I know where you're coming from. I've had troubles with Papa too, along with the good times. I lived with him when he was just beginning to be the Dark One, remember? He let me fall through a portal alone because he was too scared to come with me, and for _years,_ just like you, I resented him for it. But then you know what happened?"

"What?" Milah asked.

"I got over it," Neal said. "I got over it, gave him a chance, _talked_ to him, and since then, we've had the best relationship we've ever had. Now, I'm not saying you should have done that because clearly it wasn't something that you had the patience for, and in fact it was probably better for everyone that you left, but…you really missed out. That's all I'm gonna say."

"I know what you mean," Milah told him. "Things were good for your father and me at one point. Before he went off to war, before you were born…then he ruined everything and things changed."

"So now you're scolding him for wanting to be home with his family," Neal sighed. "I'm glad he did that. Cause if he'd died and I'd been left in your care, who knows _what_ would have happened to me? You probably would have sold me off to the highest bidder and run off with the first ship that came into port. So if you expect me to feel bad for you, or feel the same way about Papa that you do, you'll be disappointed. Now, if you don't mind, go away. I'm eating." He scooped a forkful of cold eggs in his mouth and swallowed, trying not to wince and let on how disgusting they were.

"Well, what a shame our little family reunion has to end," Milah said. "I only ever wanted to be friends with you, son. But now it can't be that way. You made the wrong choice. You're going to regret it."

"No, I don't think I will," Neal replied firmly. "Good day."

Milah scoffed at him and strode from the diner, mumbling curses under her breath.

"Well, she's a piece of work," Ruby remarked as she brought over the coffee pot. "Is that really your mother?"

"I think that's a generous term for her," Neal replied. "But she _is_ the woman who gave birth to me, yes."

"Wow, I'm sorry," Ruby apologized. "My mother had issues too. That's why Granny raised me."

"Well, you got really lucky," Neal told her.

"Yeah," Ruby nodded and looked at Granny, who'd just come through the door of the diner with a tub of raw meat and what looked to be a bloody cleaver on top of it, and was shouting at her to come help make the day's batch of meatloaf. "I'm really lucky." She left then and after Neal finished his breakfast and left a tip on the table, he had a decision to make: should he report the conversation with his mother to his father first, or Emma? He mulled it over, and finally picked Emma. He just had to ask why she'd been foolish enough to let his mother out of jail. Cause that didn't seem like her at all.

* * *

But when he reached the police station, Emma wasn't at the desk at all. Instead, her mother was there, and she smiled brightly at him as he came in. "Hello!" She said, a big smile on her lips. "Emma's out on a job with David. What can I do for you?"

"Were you the one who let my mother out of jail?" Neal asked.

"Why yes I was," Snow nodded. "We talked about what she did and why she did it, and she apologized. She told me she was very sorry, and that if I let her out of jail, she would never do anything bad again. I had no reason not to believe her, so I took the keys and let her out."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Neal cried and tried to get the pictures of him strangling her out of his head. "How could you just believe her? She's trying to ruin my father's life! She's using magic to rob people! And I'm pretty sure she has something worse up her sleeve which, now that she's been released, will be very easy to carry out."

"Oh," Snow flushed. "Sorry, I didn't think of that."

"Well, that's fine," Neal told her trying not to sound curt. "I know it's not normally your job to manage stuff like this and that's probably a good thing. Now, where did Emma and her father go?"

"Oh, I don't know exactly," Snow sighed. "You'll probably reach her quicker if you just call her. You know her number, right?"

"Yes," Neal nodded. "Lucky for you and everyone else, I do."

* * *

"What do you mean your mother got out of jail and is now running free around Storybrooke, Neal?" Emma asked. "How did that happen? Who did it?"

" _Your_ mother," Neal replied. "Someone needs to tell her not to be so trusting. It'll be the death of her someday. What do you think we should do about it?"

"Well, first thing's first, go to the library and tell your father," Emma told him firmly. "Have you done that yet?"

"No," Neal said. "But I will now."

"All right, good," Emma replied. "I'll get things taken care of here, and then David and I will meet you and your dad back at my house to talk about this, okay?"

"Okay," Neal replied. So he headed to the library to see his father, who was just helping Belle get ready for the day. "Bad news," he said. "It's about my mom. Emma's mother let her out of jail."

"So now she's running around free?" Rumple sighed. "Of course she is. They're all a bunch of fools, except Emma. Can't really count on them to do what needs doing because they're always too worried about being seen as evil." He sighed. "What do you think your mother is up to?"

"Well, she tried to get me to side with her at the diner while I was having breakfast," Neal told him. "I said that my loyalty was to you and always would be. That upset her and she ran off, threatening to do to me whatever she and her lawyer have planned for you."

Rumple smiled, grabbed Neal's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you for your loyalty, son. That means a lot to me, especially at a time like this."

"No problem," Neal replied. "I wouldn't let you deal with something like this alone. Especially in the state you're in now. When you're available, Emma wants you and me to meet her and her father at her house to talk about what to do next. Will that work for you?"

"Of course," Rumple nodded. "That's what I'll do during my lunch break. Come pick me up around one?"

"You got it," Neal nodded. "See you then."

* * *

"Would you like to go to Granny's over lunch and have a burger with me?" Belle asked Rumple as she set a new stack of library cards by his station. "I think it would be nice."

"You know, I would love to," Rumple told her. "It's always nice when we do that every day. But something's come up. It's a complicated family matter, so I'll have to skip it. But I will definitely meet you tomorrow."

"Can I ask what's going on?" Belle questioned. "Or is it too personal? If it's too personal, you don't have to say anything."

"You're so sweet, but it's nothing that bad," Rumple told her. "Just some issues with my ex-wife. She's causing more trouble for me and now she's drawn my son into it all."

"I'm sorry," Belle took his hand and then gave him a hug. "I know this whole thing has just been miserable for you. I hope it all gets better soon."

"Oh, but it has," Rumple assured her. "A lot. And you've been a big part of that."

"Well it's nothing, really," Belle smiled. "I do what I can. And if there's anything I can do to help you, let me know."

"Thank you," Rumple told her as some patrons approached the desk. "I'll see if I can think of something."

* * *

After Neal came to pick Rumple up, they arrived at Emma's house, and were all sitting around to talk, Neal said, "I think I might have a solution to the problem. It's kind of shifty, and normally I wouldn't even suggest it, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"What is it?" Emma asked. "Just how shifty are we talking? Cause I have magic, you know. We could just use mine, if you're thinking of something along that line."

"That's part of it," Neal said. "But there's another thing we need to consider: It's all well and good to capture my mother and her cohort, but…what will we do with them once we have them? _That's_ the problem I think I can solve."

"How?" David asked. "It's not anything that will put the entire town in danger, is it? Cause it's not worth putting a town full of people's lives at risk, whatever it is."

"No," Neal shook his head. "The only people this will endanger are the people it's supposed to. Remember the lamp I told Henry about? We can trap Mother and Zelena in there and seal it up."

"Really? That's your plan?" Emma asked. "Put them in a genie lamp?"

"I don't see you giving any suggestions," Neal told her. "What do _you_ think we should do?"

"What about the genie?" Emma asked. "We have to get rid of the old genie before we put your mom and Zelena in the bottle, right?"

"Easy," Neal shrugged. "We make the first two wishes, use the third to set the genie free, and then we stick them in it in when it's empty."

David looked at Rumple. "What do you think?" She asked. "Do you think this could work?"

"We'll be dealing with a very powerful magical object, so we'll have to be careful," Rumple replied. "But as long as we're careful and use the wishes wisely, I think this could be successful." He smiled at Neal. "Good job, son."

"Thank you," Neal replied. Then he looked at Emma. "Would you mind if I picked Henry up from school one day soon and took him with me to the storage room to get the lamp? He was so intrigued by it that I think it would disappoint him a lot if he knew I'd gone to get it and he didn't get to come."

"We'll both go," Emma replied. "Not that I don't trust you, but you can never have too much backup."

"She's right, you know," Rumple told Neal. "She's a smart woman, that Miss Swan."

"Well, thank you," Emma replied. "I do my best. So…when do you want to get the lamp?"

"What about the day after tomorrow?" Neal asked. "Give Mother and Zelena time to think they've come out ahead and then surprise them with our secret weapon?"

"All right," Emma nodded. "Friday it is. That'll be a good start to the weekend for Henry."

"Yeah," Neal nodded, looking at the clock before saying to his father, "You still have some of your lunch hour left. Wanna go get a burger?"

"Of course," Rumple nodded and stood up. "I think I'd like that."


	4. Getting The Lamp

The morning Neal was supposed to meet Emma to get the lamp started out with a tranquil breakfast between father and son. Neal had gotten some muffins and things to go, not wanting to risk running into Milah again until the plan to get rid of her was more concrete. As he sat reading the paper, he stared at his father, who had a pair of tweezers out and was picking things out of his muffin with them.

"What are you doing?" He asked, putting the paper down. "Are you literally tweezing your muffin?"

"Yes," Rumple replied, keeping his eye on his work as he added a raisin to the pile of things he'd already taken out and placed on a napkin. "This muffin contains a number of things I don't care for. Currants, a husk of something…" He paused and pulled it out before throwing it away. "Away, wrinkly thing!"

Neal scoffed. "You know, when you and Mom straighten things out, I'm gonna miss these tranquil mornings: me reading the paper and you tweezing things out of your muffin. Such memories."

"I didn't need the sarcasm," Rumple told him, put the tweezers down, and then bit gingerly into the muffin. "I missed a raisin!" He cried, spitting into a napkin. "I missed a raisin!"

Neal rolled his eyes, got up, and then set a bowl, a spoon, some cereal, and the milk in front of him. "Have that instead if you don't like the muffins," He told his father. "Are you still gonna come with Henry, Emma, and me to get the lamp out of my storage?"

"Yes, I really think you need me there," Rumple nodded as he poured milk over his corn flakes. "How in the world you managed to get that lamp all the way to a storage place without something going wrong is beyond me."

"Well, this isn't the first time I've ever handled magic," Neal told him. "I can do it without anything going wrong."

"Even so," Rumple countered, "I would feel much better if I was there with you."

"Of course," Neal nodded. "You're invited. Even if you don't have magic."

"Good," Rumple said and stood up. "When do we go? And even if I don't have magic, I have years of knowledge to fall back on, thank you very much."

"Not until Henry gets done with school," Neal told him. "So you still have some time. But I'm sure you won't mind cause it gives you a chance to go see Belle."

Rumple smiled, grabbed his cane from by his chair, and then went to dress himself, walking around with a spring in his step as he returned to the kitchen. "You make a very good point," he said. "Working at the library _will_ make the day pass by quickly indeed."

"Although based on how you and Belle feel about one another, I question how much work you _actually_ get done," Neal smiled.

"Well, that's not any of your business, is it?" Rumple asked.

* * *

But he was smiling, and when he and Neal reached the library, he approached Belle at the desk with a smile. "Hello," he greeted her.

"Hello," she said with a smile. "I got a new set of books today. Ready to help me label and shelve them? You're looking very fit today, Mr. Gold."

"Of course," Rumple nodded and followed her to the back room after telling Neal goodbye. "I'm always ready to help." He then looked down at himself. "And thank you for noticing. I really _do_ try and take care of myself the best I can."

Neal smiled and shook his head as he watched his father be led back to the room full of books that had yet to be shelved, and be kissed by Belle before they set to getting the books in order. He was glad that she was a distraction from all the craziness, cause his father really needed it.

* * *

Neal spent some of the day in Rumple's room, then went to eat lunch and then stopped by the police station to talk to Emma. "Are we still gonna bring Henry with us when we go get the lamp?" He asked. "Or do you just want it to be the two of us?" He paused. "Well, the two of us and my father. He wants to come too because he's worried about me handling magical objects without his help. Somethings just don't change."

"Well, honestly, I don't blame him," Emma replied. "Granted, I don't know much about genies but I have a feeling that they all aren't as nice as the one voiced by Robin Williams." She smiled. "What do you know about genies? Are they dark? Should I make sure I have my gun handy?"

"Well, genies are subservient creatures for the most part, although sometimes they resent it so things can get dangerous if you get one like that," Neal told her. "So until we know exactly what sort of genie we're dealing with, having your gun handy would be a good idea." Then she asked the question he'd been prepared for.

"If they're dangerous enough that I might need my gun, should we _really_ be bringing Henry?"

"I think it'll be all right," Neal assured her. "Between you, me, and my father, Henry should be safe."

"True," Emma nodded. "And I _did_ promise him he could come already. No point in disappointing him now unless I want to hear about it for a really long time."

"We'll make sure he's okay, I promise." Neal assured her. "Nothing bad will happen to him."

With that in mind, they went to pick Rumple up from the library, giving Rumple just enough time to make a date with Belle for that night before they left the library and headed for Henry's school.

"Today's the day we get the lamp, right?" Henry asked eagerly as he got in the backseat and belted himself in. "You're not lying to me about that, are you?"

"Of course not," Neal assured him as they pulled out of the school parking lot. "We promised you that you could come, so you get to come. But be careful, though. Some genies are not as nice as you think. So stay back and let us handle it until we're sure you won't be hurt."

"All right, I'll be careful," Henry assured his father. "I promise."

After a short drive, they reached a nondescript white building and headed inside, where they went through another door, finding themselves face to face with a green vault that took up the whole wall. It had a combination lock on it and the door looked heavy.

"Is it in there?" Henry asked as they stared at it. "And you remember the combination, don't you?"

"Of course I do, buddy," Neal told him. "I wouldn't put a bunch of highly magical stuff in a safe and then forget the combination." He then entered the combination while the others looked away, and then with a gesture from Neal, they followed him into the vault.

"Wow," Henry said as he looked around in awe. "There's a lot of stuff in here, isn't there? Can I touch it?"

"I'd be careful what I touch if I were you, Henry," Rumple told him as he put a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Let your father get the lamp and then we'll go."

"You want my help?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Neal nodded. "It probably wouldn't hurt." They walked through the piles of stuff, and, like her son, Emma was tempted to touch some of it, especially if it was shiny. She would get close to objects and then quickly pull her hand away while walking backward as fast as she could.

"Being in here is a lot harder than I thought it would be," she confessed to Neal. "So much temptation. I don't know how you avoid it."

"I know all these objects are magic," he told her and then nodded in his father's direction. "And I know what happens when magic becomes too much. That's what stops me from wanting to be greedy, even when the urge hits."

Finally, they found the shiny gold lamp among the piles of stuff and brought it back to Rumple and Henry. "Here it is," Neal presented it to his son. "Here's the lamp."

"It's smaller than I thought it would be," Henry said.

"Well, you know how it is for genies," Emma smiled. "Phenomenal cosmic powers. Itty-bitty living space." She, Neal, and Henry all burst into simultaneous laughter while poor Rumple, who didn't get the reference, stood leaning on his cane and looking lost.

"What's everyone laughing about?" He asked at last. "Will someone please tell me?"

"It's a line in a movie," Henry told him. "You'll have to come over so I can show it to you sometime."

"All right," Rumple nodded with a smile. "I'd like that." He looked at Neal. "Now that we have the lamp, are you ready to go, son?"

"Yeah, just a second," Neal told him and headed toward a gold statue of a monkey that was covered in rubies and emeralds. "I don't remember getting this," he said, picking it up. "Huh. I probably got it a while ago and forgot about it. Yeah," he assured himself. "That has to be right." They took the lamp and left the vault, and once the door closed, the statue turned into Zelena, who headed back to Milah.

"Were we right?" Milah asked. "Did they get the genie's lamp?"

"Yes," Zelena nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Undoubtedly to trap one or both of us."

"So what do we do?" Milah asked. "How much trouble are we in?"

"Oh, don't worry," Zelena assured her. "Genies are powerful. But not indomitable. We'll get it under our control somehow. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Milah nodded. "I trust you. Don't worry about that."

* * *

After Rumple left to go on his date with Belle, Emma showed up just by chance.

"I thought your dad would be gone by now," She said as she shut the door behind her and Neal helped her remove her coat. "And I hope you don't mind Chinese."

"I love Chinese," Neal told her and took it to the coffee table where they just opened two random cartons of food after Neal went and got spoons and forks and Emma pulled out chopsticks. "So if you're here," he asked, "Where's Henry?"

"Spending the night at a friend's house," Emma smiled. "After being at the vault today, he couldn't wait to see his friends and brag." She smiled. "I actually had a good time getting that lamp."

"Yeah, me too," Neal nodded. "Still a little weirded out by that golden monkey, though."

"Well, if it really bothers you, we can go check it out later," Emma told him.

"All right," Neal nodded.

They finished their Chinese, watched a little TV, and then, after a glass of wine, they both decided to head to bed.

"Do you really wanna do this?" Emma asked as they got through his bedroom with their arms around each other. "It's…it's been a long time."

"I want to if you want to," Neal told her. "It doesn't have to turn into anything serious if you don't want it to."

"All right," Emma nodded. "That sounds good to me." They kissed again as they pulled off each other's clothes and left them in a pile by the bed, climbed in, and pulled each other close until they were both tired and wrapped in one another's arms, with Neal's fingers threaded in Emma's blonde hair as he kissed her forehead and watched her eyes close as her head pushed back against the pillow.


	5. The Genie

"I need to ask a favor of you, Belle," Rumple said as he strode into the library and set himself up behind the circulation desk.

"Sure," Belle smiled and gave him a kiss. "Whatever you need, you can have it."

"Are you sure you don't want to hear what I need first before you agree to it?" Rumple asked. "Because it involves a certain level of risk and danger."

"All right," Bell nodded and continued playing with his hair, unfazed. "Just what is it that you want?"

"Well, you know about my wife and her lawyer," Rumple said. "It just so happens that my son might have found the way to keep them at bay, but we need a place to hide it. Can we do that here?"

"Of course," Belle nodded. "No problem. And you know, I signed up for a self-defense class that Granny is running. It starts tonight, so hopefully if Milah or Zelena show up, I can just give them a good kick and send them on their way."

"Thank you," Rumple told her, taking the bag off his arm and removing the towel-covered lamp. "Here it is. Where should we put it?"

Belle took Rumple into her office and shut the door. "Is that really a magic lamp?" She asked in a low voice as she looked at it with awe. "I thought those were just in books!"

"Apparently not," Rumple smiled. "Would you like to give it a try?"

"Do you think we should?" Belle asked. "What would your son say?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Rumple told her. "I know more about these kinds of things than he does."

She got closer to him and gripped his arm, sucking in a breath as he slowly reached out to touch the lamp. "Do it," she whispered in his ear. "Do it!"

Rumple moved his finger slowly along the side of the lamp and then stopped. "No," he shook his head. "Not here. It's too public. But I promise that we'll find a private place and I'll show you, I promise."

There was a sharp knock at the door and with a start, Belle urged Rumple to quickly cover up the lamp again. "What do you want?" She called. "If you have a book I need to check out for you, I'll be there in a minute."

"Why not now?" Neal asked. "What are you doing in there?"

"Not what you think," Rumple said and opened the door. "Come on in here. We're talking about the lamp."

"Sure," Neal nodded. "Whatever euphemism you want to use to spare me finding out what was actually going on, thank you." He took the lamp in his arms and asked Belle, "So can we keep it here?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. "I'll keep it safe, I promise."

"Thank you," Neal told her. "It's a big help."

"It's my pleasure to help," Belle replied. "Honestly." They left the room and then Belle and Rumple said goodbye to Neal before going back to checking out books, except over the lunch hour, when Belle led Rumple back into the back room and put a hand on his chest so she could lean forward and kiss him. That made him pause in surprise for a second or two, but soon he was kissing her back, his fingers in her hair as her hands went up and cupped his face and played with his tie.

When they pulled apart, they were breathing heavily and grinning at each other. "That was nice," Belle told him. "We should do it again."

"I agree," Rumple nodded and removed his coat. He smiled as he took her in his arms and kissed her again, pulling her close to himself as he felt her throw her arms around his neck.

"Okay, okay," Belle giggled when they pulled apart again. "We have to stop for now. People will start wondering where we are soon."

"I suppose," Rumple sighed, but took Belle's hand as he led her out of the back room and tried to pointedly ignore the fact that everyone was staring at them and some were whispering amongst themselves.

"Don't you all have other things you should be doing right now?" He asked them all. "Surely I'm not the only one who's gotten affection in a public place?"

Everyone went back to their reading and copying after that and Belle smiled. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "I'm not embarrassed. Are you?"

"Oh, no," Rumple shook his head. "That little speech was for your sake, not mine."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day at the desk, holding each other's hands as they checked out books and dealt out library cards, and then she drove him back to his room at Granny's.

"Is this where I should have brought you?" She asked. "Or should I have taken you to Emma's to talk to them about the lamp?"

"No, here is fine," Rumple smiled. "Just let me leave a note for Neal on the door and then we can figure out what to do with ourselves for the rest of the night."

"All right," Belle smiled and bounced on her heels a bit. "Sounds good to me."

The next day was a Saturday. Rumple woke up to the sound of the phone in his room ringing. "Hello?" He asked tiredly. "Who is it?"

"It's Neal," Neal replied. "Thanks for leaving the note on the door last night so I didn't disturb you."

"Oh, it was nothing, son," Rumple told him and sat up. "Where did you spend the night?"

"With Emma," Neal told him. "Don't worry. I didn't end up sleeping on a park bench or anything like that."

"Good," Rumple replied. "Although I wasn't worried about that."

"Who is it?" Belle asked.

Rumple covered the bottom of the phone with his hand and said, "It's Neal."

"Ah," Belle nodded and pulled the blankets over her head again. "Keep talking. Don't mind me."

"Was that Belle?" Neal asked. "So you _did_ spend the night with her!"

"Why does everyone react that way when they realize that?" Rumple asked, exasperation in his voice. "I can have feelings for other people, just like anyone."

"No, it's not that!" Neal told him quickly. "I'm happy for you. Really, I am. But here's what I really called about: can you bring the lamp to Emma's so Henry can have a look at it?"

"Just so I know, is he just looking, or are you going to let him be the one to contact the genie?" Rumple asked. "I want to know your plan before we release it."

"You're probably going to be exasperated with me when I say this, but honestly, I think you should be the one to decide what to do," Neal told him. "You were the one that was victimized. I mean, I thought that we could make a few wishes, set the genie free, and then trap Mother in there instead. How's that for a plan?"

Rumple burst into laughter and Neal said, "All right, so you don't like my idea. What would you rather do?"

"No, I think your plan is a good one," Rumple told her. "But the thought of your mother being in service to someone else for all of time just makes me laugh. You have no idea how much. It will make her completely miserable."

"That's the point, isn't it?" Neal asked.

"Oh, yes," Rumple nodded and grinned. "Of course it is."

* * *

Emma was a bit surprised when Rumple stopped by with the lamp and she saw that he had Belle on his arm.

"It's all right that I brought her with me, isn't it?" He asked Emma. "Now that she's keeping the lamp safe, naturally she's been brought into our little circle."

"Oh, of course," Emma nodded. "Naturally." She sat down and said to Belle, "Are there any books at all in the library about genies? I mean, real ones that aren't _1001 Arabian Nights_?"

"I've never actually looked," Belle told her. "But I certainly will now." She paused. "And even if I don't find anything, I'm sure that Rumple could tell you whatever you need to know."

It was then that Henry came into the living room, an eager look on his face. "Do you have the lamp?" He asked. "I want a better look at it." He paused and blushed. "Please?"

"Go ahead," Rumple replied. "You can even give it a rub if you want and we'll see what this genie is like."

Henry gently took the lamp in his hands, surprised by the weight of it. Emma held up the other end so it wouldn't fall and then Henry gave it a rub. Purple smoke came out of it and formed into an innocuous-looking dark-skinned man with gray hair wearing a suit.

"Oh, damn!" Rumple swore as Belle held tight to his arm and tried to calm him. "Of all the genies in all the lamps in all the world…we had to get yours. I thought you were gone by now!"

The genie sighed. "I admit that that's exactly what I expected when the queen had me put back in this lamp and sent away, but…here I am! I have to thank you, by the way." He breathed expansively. "It's nice to be out in the open air again."

"What's going on here?" Neal asked. "What don't I know?"

"This man used to be in cahoots with the evil queen, son," Rumple told him. "He caused all sorts of trouble in her name."

"In my defense, I didn't," Sydney Glass protested. "Not really. What my queen asked of me, I did. But she did much worse on her own."

"That's not important now," Emma said. "Can we trust you to just work with us and not tell Regina a thing about what we're doing? I know she's much better than she used to be, but we have enough trouble on our hands without adding her into the mix."

"What do I get in return for my silence?" Sydney asked.

"I didn't know genies could make demands," Neal replied.

"Of course not," Sydney smirked. "You probably just think I'm supposed to meekly sit back and obey my master's commands."

"Is that wrong?" Emma wanted to know. "You seem pretty happy to do Regina's bidding."

"Is what you'll want of me going to hurt her?" Sydney asked.

"No," Emma shook her head. "In fact, this has nothing to do with her at all."

"Good," Sydney nodded. "Then you'll have my cooperation. What's going on?"

"My wife and her lawyer have taken my magic," Rumple told him. "And most everything else that I hold dear. We want your help getting it back. And then, after all of this, you'll be free and someone else will take your place in the lamp. Is that fair?"

"Freedom?" Sydney asked, looking amazed. "Really? You aren't just leading me on, are you?"

"No," Neal said earnestly. "It's the truth."

"All right," Sydney said after taking several minutes to try and determine whether or not he believed them. "Where do we start? Is there a wish I can grant to begin this whole revenge plot?"

"Not at the moment," Emma said. "But when we come up with something, we'll let you know."

"Would it be pushing my luck to wish for a mini bike?" Henry asked.

"When this is all over, we'll talk about it," Neal told him. "I promise. But until then, we have to focus on this and only this."

"All right," Henry nodded. "Will I actually be able to take part in this plan, or do I just have to sit back and do nothing cause I'm a kid?"

"No, we'll find some way to make you feel involved," Emma told him. "I promise. Cause if we don't, you'll find a way on your own. Am I wrong?"

"No," Henry shook his head and smiled. "You're correct."


	6. A Necessary Risk

"So tell me," Regina said to Henry as she watched him hang up his coat after they got home from Emma's. "What exactly _is_ it that you do all the time you spend with Emma? I always ask you, but you never say a thing."

"Well, I…I have my reasons," Henry told her. "What we're working on now is a plan to help Mr. Gold and since the two of you are sort of…enemies, I don't think you would be much help. And he's been through a lot, you know."

"I can be more help than you think," Regina told him. "The lawyer of that wife of his is my sister. My evil, scheming half-sister. She'll be more trouble to this town than I ever was if she's not stopped."

"I think you seriously underestimate the effect your anger had on other people," Henry replied. "But I'm just glad you're not like that anymore. Or at least not wanting to use your powers for evil."

"Thank you," Regina told him with a smile. "It's nice to see my efforts are being acknowledged by _somebody._ So…what's their plan?"

"Well, Dad had a genie in his treasure trove of magical objects he looks over. And we're gonna make wishes, set him free, and then trap Zelena and Milah in the lamp instead," Henry told her. "You think that will work?"

Regina shrugged. "Since Snow and Charming didn't come up with it, I'd be willing to give it a chance, but you have to remember that every plan has a possibility of going wrong. Would you convince them to let me help?"

"I could try," Henry nodded. "But I don't know what they would say. The genie is Sydney glass and he still…he still has a thing for you," Henry told her, flushing slightly. "It might cause them to worry about your loyalty."

"Well, they shouldn't!" Regina snapped. "And how can I prove it to them if they don't give me a chance?"

"All right, all right, I'll talk to them and see if they'll let you in." He paused. "I'll even insist if you want."

"Good," Regina smiled with satisfaction. "Thank you very much, Henry."

"You're welcome," he told her. "I'll go do my homework now."

"You do that," she said and kissed his hair. "And dinner will be in an hour."

* * *

When Henry told the others about Regina's request to join in the mission, the reaction was interesting. "I think we should give her a chance," Emma said.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" Belle asked. "What if she turns on us? Zelena _is_ her sister, after all."

"Ah, yes, but they aren't close," Rumple told her. "They're rivals more than anything else. They have been ever since I told Zelena that I would rather have Regina than her as a magic student, remember?"

"Oh, yes," Belle nodded. "There are just some things that have happened that I've blocked out and don't remember anymore."

"And I don't know her well enough to have an informed opinion," Neal said as Henry looked to him for his thoughts. "Whatever my father thinks, we'll go with it."

"Well," Rumple sighed. "As I have no magic and we really could use someone with the ability to be sneaky and underhanded when the occasion calls for it, I say we let her in, at least for a trial run. If by the end of that trial run, she proves trustworthy, we keep her. If not, we send her on her way."

"That's a good idea," Emma smiled. "I like it!" So they took the lamp and headed to Regina's house to tell her the good news.

"Well, it's nice to see you had the good sense to invite me along for this little adventure of yours," Regina told them with a smirk. "Since Rumple has no powers, you wouldn't have gotten very far if you left me out of it."

"Yes, I'm sure that's true," Emma nodded obligingly, not wanting to give her a reason to mistrust them or decide to abandon them when they needed her most. "Henry told you the plan, didn't he?"

"He did," Regina nodded. "And I have to say that it's not the worst one I've ever heard."

"Coming from you, that's quite a compliment," Rumple told her dryly.

"And did he tell me that the genie in the lamp is Sydney Glass?" Regina asked him.

"That he did," Rumple nodded. "Will that be a problem?"

"No," Regina shook her head. "Of course not. He'll do whatever I ask him to, which of course won't be anything bad."

"Well, we'll see about that," Rumple told her skeptically. He sat down in a chair in Emma's living room and sighed.

Henry then looked at Neal and Emma. "So…what do we do now?"

"Well, that really depends on the genie," Neal replied. "Doesn't it?"

* * *

Although Belle didn't really want to surrender the lamp because it was, she felt, her only way to be useful compared to the rest of them, Sydney told them he would only cooperate with them if he got to stay at Regina's house.

"Why do you want a room?" Henry asked as he helped Sydney fix up his room. "You have a lamp."

"Ah, yes, but the lamp's not very comfortable," Sydney said. "A bed is much more comfortable."

"Do you want me to bring you another pillow?" Henry asked. "Or is one just fine?"

"This is all right," Sydney nodded. "Thank you very much. Your mother has raised a very nice boy."

"Thank you," Henry nodded. "Just yell if you need anything."

"Do you want to talk about getting that dirt bike?" Sydney asked him.

"You'll have to talk to my mom about that," Henry told her. "I don't think she wants me to have one."

"Oh, I'm sure I can convince her to change her mind," Sydney assured him. "I promise."

* * *

A few days later, Regina and Henry were eating at Granny's when Henry gasped and leaned against her. "What?" She asked, putting her arm around him. "What is it, Henry?"

"Somebody just came into the diner and she…she makes me feel really uneasy," Henry replied and pointed at the woman who was walking toward them.

"It's no problem, Henry," Regina assured him. "It's just my sister. I won't let her hurt you. She has magic, but so do I. Nothing will happen."

When Zelena reached the table, she smiled broadly. "Hey, Gina," she said brightly. "May I sit?"

"No," Regina shook her head. "What do you want?"

"I'm in the middle of a big case and I thought I would just take a break and spend some time with my sister and her little boy," Zelena said and Henry flinched as she reached out to stroke his hair.

"I'm not a little boy," he told her. "I'm a teenager."

"Of course you are," Zelena told him in a patronizing voice and patted his cheek.

"Since you're not eating anything, you can leave," Regina told her. "Or you can tell me what you're up to."

"Of course I can't do that," Zelena chuckled and pushed some of her red hair out of her eyes. "Lawyer-client confidentiality. But it's one of my favorite cases cause we share a common enemy and what helps her helps me."

"I'll watch my back then," Regina told her. "And you watch yours."

"You're not the target," Zelena promised her. "Not that we can't change course if you decide to get in the way, though." She looked at the clock, seeing that it was just after eleven. "Do you think they'd give me onion rings now if I asked them?" She wanted to know. "Or is it too soon after breakfast?"

"I have no idea," Regina huffed. "You'll have to ask if you want to find out."

* * *

Zelena's appearance at the diner led to one of the first divisions in the Zelena-Milah trapping squad. When Emma heard what had happened, she was immediately concerned for Henry's safety and didn't hesitate to tell Regina so.

"I know we decided that we'd share Henry, but based on the fact that one of our targets is your sister, I just don't feel safe leaving him at your house until all this is over!" She said. "If she knows Henry is here, she could take him and hurt him and we might never see him again. Do you want that? If you care about him, you'll agree to keep him at my house for a while."

"Excuse me, Miss Swan," Regina told her icily. "Are you implying that I can't defend my son against my sister? Because you know I would give my life to protect him."

"Yes, but why take that risk when you can just leave him with me and skip the worry all together?" Emma wanted to know. She then slipped past Regina and went to Henry's room. "Pack your things, kid," she told him. "You're coming to stay with Neal and me until this whole Zelena thing blows over."

"What does Mom think of that?" Henry asked.

"She's against it, but I think it will be safer," Emma told him. "Please?"

"Oh, all right," Henry sighed, not wanting to get in the middle of his mothers when they were having a fight.

Emma went to the car while Henry packed his things, and as he left the house, Sydney told a crestfallen Regina, "Don't worry, my queen. I'll avenge this injustice. We'll get him back."

"Yes, we will!" Regina nodded firmly, marching to her room to think up a plan that would work, but still keep people thinking that she was a good, well-meaning person.

But Sydney wasn't one to wait in cases like this. He saw that his queen was in pain and he wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy again. So when he was sure she was asleep, he went over to Emma's, appearing in Henry's room, grabbing him, and putting a hand over his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Henry mumbled, struggling in Sydney's grip.

"I'm taking you home to Regina," he told him. "You're much happier there anyway, aren't you?"

Henry then kicked him, which caused Sydney to drop the boy, and lead to a tussle that brought Emma to the door.

"What the hell is going on?" She cried, turning on the light. Then she glared at Sydney. "What are you doing here?" She asked him. "Did Regina send you?"

"No, I came on my own," Sydney replied. "I'm taking him back."

"Oh, no, you're not!" Emma said. But just as she reached him, he grabbed Henry's arm and they both disappeared, with Henry muttering, "I definitely deserve a mini bike for this."

Neal arrived just after they disappeared. "Where'd Henry go?" He asked Emma, seeing the empty bed.

"The genie took him," Emma replied. "He claimed he didn't come on Regina's orders, but she wasn't really with the plan of keeping him here. I bet she did send him." She sat on Henry's bed and sighed. "That's what I get for being so trusting, I guess. People always let me down."

"No, hey," Neal said, coming to put an arm around her. "You didn't do anything wrong. And it's good to want to see the best in people. It's something that I'm just learning how to do again."

"What are we gonna do now?" Emma asked. "Kick Regina out of the group?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Neal told her. "We need every bit of power on our side that we can get since my father doesn't have any, so alienating Regina is a big mistake. We'll just trust that the genie is acting on his own, and go from there."

"Oh, god," Emma sighed and put her head on Neal's shoulder. "It's much too late for me to deal with stuff like this." She shut her eyes Neal ran his fingers through her hair before tucking her into Henry's bed.

"You sleep," he said. "I'll keep watch in case Henry comes back. And I'll ask Papa what he thinks about this."

* * *

"Did the genie really just take Henry from your house?" Belle asked in shock. "That was very bold of him.

"Yep," Neal nodded. "He did."

"Well, that's not surprising," Rumple replied. "When it comes to Regina and pleasing her, he's a very bold man."

"Do you think he'll hurt Henry?" Belle asked, looking worried and holding Rumple's hand tight. "Do we need to attempt a rescue?"

"No," Rumple shook his head. "I'm sure Henry was just taken back to Regina's house. He's in no danger, at least not from her, anyway."

"What would make him do something like this?" Belle wanted to know.

"Well, Emma believed that Henry would be less of a target for Mother and Zelena if he wasn't at Regina's house and was staying with us instead," Neal explained. "And from the sound of things, she didn't give Regina a lot of room to protest. Maybe Sydney thought he was helping Regina out by bringing him back and she had nothing to do with it."

The question was answered a few minutes later as Regina strode into the library break room, lamp in hand. "I want you to know that I had nothing to do with Henry being taken from your house last night," she told Neal. "What Sydney did was entirely his own choice and I don't think I should be punished for it."

"Oh, don't worry, dearie," Rumple said. "We don't blame you. And even if you _did_ have something to do with it, since you have magic, it's not like we can afford to be rid of you."

"Yes," Regina smiled and sat down next to Belle, who instinctively leaned against Rumple. "That _is_ true, isn't it?" She plunked the lamp on the table. "But given what's happened, I think the lamp should stay here from now on. There's just too much temptation for Sydney to mess things up for me if I keep it at my house. I want you to trust me. Really."

"Well, this is a good start," Belle got out and put the lamp where it had originally been. "And how about while we watch the lamp, you watch your sister? Be friends with her? Try and get to know what she's planning."

"Really?" Regina sighed. "Is that all you can think of for me to do?"

Belle shrugged. "If you want to be part of this, you have to do some things you might rather not. Will you accept your mission?"

"Yes," Regina huffed. "I guess I will."

"Good," Belle nodded. "And be sure to make notes so you can tell us everything. Don't leave a single thing out."

"Tell her to stop bossing me around," Regina told Rumple. "That's not how you get me to be cooperative."

"I'm not being your middleman," Rumple scoffed. "Tell her yourself. She's within earshot."

"You're right," Belle nodded. "I'm sorry. Take notes and don't leave anything out, _please_."

"There now," Regina smirked. "Was that so hard?"


	7. Just A Little Joke

"Emma's going to be picking you up from school today because I'm starting my part of the plan to find out what my sister is up to," Regina told Henry over breakfast. "Is that all right with you?"

"Of course," Henry nodded and buttered his toast. "Do you think you'll be able to get anything out of her?"

"Yes," Regina smiled. "I can do it."

"Dealing with your sister isn't gonna make you evil again, will it?" Henry asked. "Promise me it won't."

"It won't," Regina promised with a smile. "I might have to bring out the dark a little so Zelena doesn't find me out and upend our whole operation, but I won't completely regress."

"All right," Henry nodded. "Good. Good luck."

"Thank you," Regina told him as Emma honked outside. "There's your ride. You want to take some toast with you? Or a piece of fruit? Take an apple with you. Remember, they keep the doctor away."

"All right," Henry nodded and took a red apple from the bowl on the kitchen table. "Goodbye. See you when I see you. Good luck!"

"Thank you!" Regina called and waved to him out the open front door. "Have a good day at school!"

Once he was gone, she closed the door with a sigh, got on her jacket, got in her car, and went to meet Zelena.

"Hello, my queen," said a sudden voice that caused her to nearly crash into a stop sign. "Where are we going? How can I help?"

"Sydney, my god!" Regina cried and hit the steering wheel. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I apologize," Sydney replied and leaned forward. "So…where are we going?"

"To meet my sister," Regina told him irritably. "And I don't need any help."

"Are you sure?" Sydney asked. "Because I can do all sorts of things. Why don't you make a wish? I'm in the mood to grant a wish."

"All right," Regina said. "I _wish_ you would go away and let me handle this on my own. Goodbye, Sydney." She breathed a sigh of relief when he disappeared and she was able to drive to Granny's without any more trouble.

* * *

But when she got inside, she saw Granny and Ruby smirking at her from the other side of the counter. "You looking for your sister?" Granny asked at last.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "Is she here? _Was_ she here? Where has she gone?"

"She's back at your house," Ruby replied and gave her a note. "I don't know if she's the type to steal things, but you might want to run home before she has a chance to be there alone for too long."

Swearing, Regina ran back to her car and drove home. She found her front door unlocked and when she got inside, she found both Zelena and Milah lounging on her sofa.

"Well, look who's here?" Zelena drawled. "I wondered how long it would take you to get back, Gina."

"I hope you've enjoyed my house," Regina said, trying to suppress every urge she had to kill her sister. "Why did you ask me to come to Granny's if you were just going to be here?"

"I thought this would be more private," Zelena replied. "Now, why don't we talk about why we're all here?"

"All right," Regina nodded. "Why _are_ we here? Does it have anything to do with Rumplestiltskin?"

"Of course," Zelena nodded. "Our common enemy. Milah here will soon be his ex-wife, you know."

"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "How nice. What's he done to you?"

"He was a lousy husband," Milah rolled her eyes. "Didn't allow me to do anything I wanted. And his cowardice made me a complete outcast in our village. And that was just the beginning! We finally get to a good place, and I just _know_ he's nosing around the library and paying attention to another woman." She smiled. "That's why Zelena and I took his magic away. He's nothing without it, really." She paused and grinned. "What did he do to you? Anything? I get a sense that he's got his fingers in everything around here."

"He encouraged me to use dark magic," Regina told her. "And used my anger toward my mother to encourage me to cast a curse that would help him find your son."

"Ah." Milah nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Regina nodded. "Me too. But at least I managed to retain some measure of control over him after the curse was cast. That was _my_ consolation prize for dealing with him." She paused. "But enough of these sob stories. So…your plan is to take Rumple's magic and everything he holds dear. You've done that. What now? Just watch him squirm and laugh?"

"No, of course we have further plans than that," Zelena told her. "We're not fools. We just need to think what the plans are. That's why we need your help."

"And why should I help you?" Regina asked, crossing her arms. "You expect me to do it out of familial love?"

"Well why _wouldn't_ you help us?" Zelena asked. "Are you saying that you _like_ Rumplestiltskin now?"

"Of course not," Regina said after bursting into laughter. "But you know I'd never do anything for free. So what do I get in return? I'm already queen and mayor."

"Do you want his magic?" Milah asked. "I was going to take it for myself, but if that's what it will take to get you to help us, I'll gladly hand it over."

"All right," Regina nodded. "That seems fair. Nice to do business with you."

Milah and Zelena both smiled when she said this. "All right," Zelena got out. "How do we start?"

* * *

"They don't have any further plans than taking Rumple's magic and all his other things?" Emma asked in amazement as Regina shared what she'd heard that night. "Well, that's anticlimactic."

"But the point is that they want me to help them come up with a better plan," Regina said. "And they want to give me Rumple's magic in return for what I tell them."

"And are you planning to give it back to me after all this is over?" Rumple asked, raising an eyebrow and getting to his feet. "You better."

"Of course she is," Henry smiled at him. "She promised she wasn't gonna give into temptation."

"All right," Rumple nodded. "And are we still going to trap Zelena in the lamp? And Milah too? Actually, I would much rather deal with her myself."

"No," Neal said firmly. "No matter how much you want to, you won't kill Mother."

"Oh, come on, Bae," Rumple got out. "Why not? You know what she did to me!"

"And she'll pay for it!" Neal told him. "Once she's trapped in the lamp, she's gonna have to spend the rest of her life in the service of others. Isn't that enough of a punishment?"

"Yes," Rumple snickered. "I suppose it is if I'm not allowed to kill her."

"What are you going to tell them?" Belle asked.

"Give me time to think!" Regina snapped at her. "I was only told about my part in this a few hours ago."

"I think it would be safer if we all came up with the plan together and then you relay it to Milah and Zelena as if you came up with it yourself," Rumple said.

"I like that!" Belle smiled and squeezed his hand. "That's a marvelous idea!"

"Thank you," Rumple smiled. "I'm rather fond of it myself."

They kissed and Regina gagged. "All right, all right," she said. "Enough with the self-congratulations. What are we going to do?"

"If we can't think of anything, we can always ask the genie," Henry suggested.

"Interesting," Neal told him. "He kidnapped you and you still want to associate with him."

"Oh, he didn't hurt me that bad," Henry replied. "And I'm sure that Mom won't let that happen to me again."

"You better believe I won't," Regina nodded.

"All right," Neal said. "Belle, would you get the lamp, please?"

"We don't need to get the lamp," Regina shook her head. "He's not there. He's out and about. All I need to do is give a little whistle and he'll come." She did so and everyone jumped as he appeared quite suddenly behind her shoulder. "Yes?" Sydney asked, leaning very close to her. "You rang?"

"We want to give you the opportunity to meet the people who will be taking your place in the lamp," Regina replied. "It would be nice if you would cause trouble for those two people. Can you do that for me? I really wish you would."

"Of course," Sydney nodded and rolled up his sleeves. "I'll do it right now."

"See?" Regina smiled. "We cause trouble for Zelena and Milah and I don't get my hands dirty and jeopardize my newfound moral sense."

"Clever," Neal nodded. "Now, what are you going to suggest to them when they ask you how you plan to help?"

"Well, I can tell them that I've taken Rumple as a servant in my house," Regina suggested. "It's apparent now that all they want to do is laugh at you being humiliated. That could at least get them on my side and show them that they can trust me. Would you do that?"

"What other choice do I have?" Rumple asked. "It's not like I can stop you."

"I'll come too," Neal offered. "You won't have to do this alone, Papa."

"Thank you," Rumple smiled and took his hand. "And imagine the look that'll put on your mother's face when she's still trying to get you to side with her."

"I'd rather be a servant with you than a son of hers in privilege any day," Neal smiled back at him.

"So…you're moving in with us?" Henry smiled. "Won't that be fun?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "That's another bright side, I suppose. Would it be all right for us to move in tonight?"

"Of course," Regina nodded. "It wouldn't even take you _that_ long to get your things out of your room at Granny's, would it?"


	8. Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Rumple huffed as he headed into Regina's house while Henry and Neal brought his bags in. "I just…I have much better things to do than standing around and being mocked by my ex-wife. The only thing that is even remotely okay about this is that I'm dressed in a decent suit again instead of those horrible jeans!"

"I'm sure you can find a way to make this bearable for yourself," Regina replied. "I might have done something for you to make it all worth it. And you really owe me for that."

"Oh?" Rumple asked and raised an eyebrow. "And just what did you do?"

"Hello!" Belle said with a smile. "Anyone looking for a maid?" She was grinning and wearing a maid's uniform while waving a feather duster at Rumple.

He chuckled and blinked several times. Was this real? Or was it just a wonderful hallucination? "You…you look wonderful," he blurted out.

"You're so sweet!" Belle smiled. "I don't know about the outfit. "Does it seem like it fits me? When Regina asked me if I would be willing to be her maid, I wasn't sure what to wear. I thought I might as well look the part."

"Yes," Rumple said immediately, taking in every curve of her body and the fullness of her breasts, which were practically popping out of the black dress. "It fits well in all the right places."

Belle blushed and smiled, and then they stared at one another for a long moment. It seemed then that the rest of the world had fallen away and it was just the two of them. They shared a long, lingering kiss, which Regina rudely brought them out of with a deep frown.

"Gross!" She complained and zapped them apart.

Surprised and irritated by the intrusion because they'd momentarily been in a place where she didn't exist, they glared at her. Rumple opened his mouth to protest, but Regina cut him off.

"Look," she said firmly, "you two can play out your little maid/master fantasy in private, but now we have work to do, people to defeat, and we need to make a plan to do that. Have you forgotten?"

"Oh, right," Rumple nodded and reluctantly turned away from Belle. "Why do we need to talk about it? The plan is that we are your servants, you're gonna invite Milah and Zelena here, they're gonna see what I've been reduced to, laugh their heads off, and then go on their merry way, your allegiance secured in their minds. Isn't that right?"

"Well, yes," Regina nodded. "I guess we don't need to discuss it, then."

"Damn right we don't," Rumple nodded. "Let's just invite them over and get this done."

Regina went off to do just that and Henry told Rumple, "You can do this. It'll be just fine."

"Thank you, Henry," Rumple told him. "That's something I needed to hear."

"And I know it will be hard, but no matter what they do to goad you into anger, keep hold of your temper," Neal reminded him. "Please."

"I'll try and behave myself," Rumple assured him. I swear." Then he turned his gaze back to Belle. "And I guess that while other people are here, we have to pretend like we don't enjoy each other's company. It'll be difficult, but I think I can do it." He smiled. "Can you?"

"Yes," Belle sighed wistfully and played with his tie. "I guess I can if I try really hard."

Regina then returned a few minutes later and said that Zelena had told her that she and Milah would be more than happy to visit as soon as possible. "I guess they _did_ really want to see what you look like in a servant role," Regina mused and then laughed, even though she didn't mean to.

"Of course Milah wants to," Rumple huffed. "Putting me in that degrading position regardless of how I deserved better was probably the highlight of her life."

He sat down with a huff and didn't get up again until the doorbell rang. "Okay," Belle said and helped him to his feet. "Lights, camera, action!"

"I love your house!" Milah said in a loud voice. "It's so grand and big and wonderful!" She paused. "You must need servants to run things. Do you have them?"

"Yes, I do," Regina told her. "You'll meet them once we get to the living room."

When the guests were brought to meet the "servants," they were all on their feet.

"This is interesting," Milah said. "Can I ask why you're making my son work for you, Regina?"

"She's not making me do it," Neal told Milah. "I chose to in order to help my father."

"Oh, yes," Milah said, looking at Rumple dismissively. "How good of you to do a kindness for such a man." She sat down and said to Rumple, "I want tea. A little milk and two sugars would really hit the spot."

"Yes, ma'am," Rumple told her, between his teeth. "I'll get that for you right away."

"I'll come with you and help," Neal said.

"I have to hand it to you," Zelena told her sister. "I'm pleased that you put that Rumplestiltskin in his place. I've always wanted to do it myself."

"Well, you know," Regina smiled. "We've known one another a long time, and after all that time spent together, you learn a weakness or two and how to exploit them." She laughed and then looked at the pair. "You both look tired," she observed and took a sip of tea. "Did you have a bad night?"

Milah and Zelena scowled at one another. "Well, I can't say it was a good one," Zelena told her sister. "Just as I finally drifted off to sleep, this horn just kept blaring very loudly and wouldn't stop. Did you hear it?"

"No," Regina shook her head as she caught Sidney's eye while he stood outside the house, peering in a window and winking at her. "Can't say I did. I hope it doesn't happen to you tonight."

"I don't either," Zelena growled. "I need my beauty sleep."

"Where's the tea?" Milah asked. "It can't possibly take that long to put a tea bag in a cup of water."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't taken away his magic, he would have been able to do it quicker," Henry pointed out. "If you want it, maybe you could get off the couch and get your own tea!"

Milah's jaw dropped and she said to Regina, "Do you always let your son talk to his elders like that?"

"You don't need to scold me, Mom," Henry told Regina. "I think I'll go to my room. I can't be in here anymore."

"All right," Regina nodded. "Maybe that would be best." So Henry left, stopping by the kitchen on the way to his room to tell him to get a move on if that was possible.

"Or maybe you can linger," he said with a shrug. "Maybe they deserve that. But please tell me you won't just stand there and let them bully you."

"I won't," Rumple reassured Henry. "I'll stand up for myself in my own way." And he proved it when he and Neal reached Milah with the tea and she immediately started in on him. "What could possibly have taken you so long to make tea?" She yelled. "You're just trying to annoy me, aren't you?" She then let out a cry as Rumple let the tea tray fall right in her lap.

"What in the hell?" She cried and rose to her feet. "Damn it, Rumple, this is a new dress!"

"And I could fix it if I had my magic," Rumple countered. "But I don't because you and your lawyer took it away. What a shame."

"I despise you," Milah told him, standing up and glaring. She was a little taller than he was, but this time, he wouldn't back down, no matter how angry she looked.

"Well, I never thought much of you either," Rumple replied. "The only good thing you ever did for me was give me Baelfire. I can thank you for that."

"Okay, you've both had your chance to vent, now let's all sit down and take a deep breath," Neal told them. "Mother, come into the kitchen with me and we'll see if we can't do something to get that stain out."

"Thank you," Milah smiled at him. "That's very kind of you."

So Neal and Milah went into the kitchen, leaving Rumple alone with Zelena and Regina. There was silence until Belle came in and began dusting.

"Couldn't you clean another time?" Zelena asked irritably. "We're trying to have a conversation here."

"I'm sorry," Belle said in an exaggerated French accent. "I didn't see anyone here." She smiled and went to hug Rumple. "Except for Rumple. I can't take my eyes off him, of course. And he feels the same way about me." She paused, peering at the redhead on the sofa. "What's your name again?"

"Zelena," Zelena said dryly. Though she tried to keep a so-called 'normal' appearance, seeing Rumple have a happy life with someone who wasn't her made her boil over with envy.

"My goodness," Belle said. "You're turning green!"

"It happens every time I get upset," Zelena explained and tried to calm herself down.

"And is that often?" Belle asked, getting close to study her. "I hope not. The green clashes horribly with that red hair of yours." She paused. "I could look in a book for how to cure it for you, if you'd like. Or if we don't find anything, I could study you and find a solution."

"I'm a witch not a test subject," Zelena said irritably. "And you're very pushy for a maid."

"Well, fine," Belle replied. "If you want to go through life clashing, that's your prerogative. If you'll excuse me, I have some sheets to gather so I can wash them."

"You're going in the bedroom?" Rumple asked, striding after her. "May I help?"

"Remember, we're supposed to be subtle!" Belle whispered when they paused by a bedroom door. "Now get back there."

"Well, I wouldn't call what you just did 'subtle'," Rumple stated.

"I only did it because I felt like she needed to be brought down a peg or two because of how she treated you before," Belle explained. " _I_ wasn't doing anything that would distract us from our jobs."

"Oh, damn," Rumple said, shaking his head as he went back to the living room. "Let's hope they leave soon."

He was on his way back to the living room when Sydney just happened to pop in. "Well, hello there," he said with a grin. "Anything I can do for you?"

Rumple scowled at the genie. "What could you possibly do for me?"

"I could get them to leave," Sydney said. "Would you like me to?"

"What would I have to do for you in return?" Rumple asked.

"I'm not like you," Sydney told him. "I don't ask for favors in return when I grant wishes. It's all part of the job. I'm a member of the team now, remember? This is how I can prove it to you."

"All right, fine," Rumple nodded. "Make them go away."

"You know the phrasing you have to use if you want anything from me," Sydney reminded him.

"Really?" Rumple groaned. "The 'I wish' can't just be implied? All right. I wish they would get the news they came here to get and then go away."

"Consider it done," Sydney smiled. He strode into the living room and put a hand on Regina's shoulder. "Excuse me, my queen," he said to her. "But don't you have a council meeting to get to?"

"Oh, yes, I do!" Regina nodded, and then turned apologetically to Zelena and Milah, who joined them later with Neal.

"Whatever it is, it can't be that important," Zelena told her. "Stay. We have things to plan. Unless you aren't really on our side after all."

"Of course I am!" Regina told her. "And I don't have to prove myself to you. If you want to believe that I'm not on your side, that's your choice. But I am. Why else would I keep Rumplestiltskin under my thumb?"

"She does have a good point," Milah replied. "We'll trust you…for now."

"Good," Sydney said and made the two wicked women disappear.

"Where'd they go?" Neal asked. He then turned to call for his father. "Did you make Mother disappear?"

"No," Rumple said. "Although I've wished many times that I did, this time was not my doing."

"It was mine," Sydney volunteered. "They were becoming a nuisance."

"All right," Neal nodded. "That…that's good. I think I'll go tell Emma that we've got Mother and her friend off our backs for now."

"I think I'll come with you," Rumple said and followed Neal to the door. "If I stay here any longer, the smell of apples is going to make me woozy."

"All right," Neal said and took his arm. "Let's go, Papa."

"Wait," Regina said and zapped Henry into the living room. "Would you like to go with your grandfather to see Emma?" She asked him.

"Yes, I would," Henry nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Regina told him. "But be back before nightfall, okay?"


	9. Moving On And In

"So what do we do now that we have them convinced of your loyalty?" Emma asked Regina. "Are you sure that we do?"

"Well, they say that they believe me, but I think it would be foolish to just take their word alone," Regina told her. "We should probably count on them asking me to do some sort of loyalty test."

"And what would they make you _do_ for a loyalty test?" Neal asked. "Probably something really dark, I bet."

"Yes," Rumple smirked. "They would probably ask you to kill me. Unless they want to handle that themselves, which is a real possibility."

"Do you really think they'd kill you?" Neal asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was on their list," Rumple told him.

"You don't seem very concerned about this," Regina said, arms crossed. "Don't you think you should be? "Especially since you don't have the magic to fight back?"

"But you do," Rumple reminded her. "Can I trust you to use my magic to save me? Cause really, I'm the lesser of two evils here, Regina. Think about where you'll be if I die and you constantly have to be battling with your sister? In a matter of time, you could be dead and buried just like I would be."

"You really think she'll be hurt like that?" Henry asked Rumple. "Even though now they're only mad at you?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Both of them have always wanted power and security above everything else and the most secure place in their minds would be to rule over this place, and have the joy of unseating Regina. Of course they don't realize that rulers always have to look over their shoulders and keep an eye on the competition that wants to take their place, but let's just keep them in the dark about that for now."

"Sydney, I wish you would get over here!" Regina called out.

"Yes, my queen?" Sydney asked, popping in beside her and making everyone jump.

"Have you been watching my sister and her client like you promised me you would?" Regina asked.

"Of course I have," Sydney replied.

"Of course he has," Rumple grumbled irritably. "What else does he have to do with himself?"

"You know," Sydney told him, "I don't know what it is that you have against me. Would you care to share?"

"No, I'm not much for sharing my feelings," Rumple replied. "Let's just say that I find you to be annoying and sycophantic and I don't like you."

"See?" Sydney asked. "Was that so hard?"

"I want to make a wish, Sydney," Regina told him. "It's a bit complicated so you have to listen carefully."

"All right," Sydney nodded and sat very close to her on the sofa. "Just what did you have in mind?"

"I want you to put a spell on my sister so that if she _does_ try and kill Rumple, she'll go into your lamp and you'll be set free," Regina instructed. "Can you do that? I know I probably could with my powers, but it'll be more likely to be done if you don't know I'm doing it."

"Wait!" Belle cried. "That can't be the wish! Erase that wish!"

"Why?" Regina wanted to know.

"Because it requires Rumple to die!" Belle cried. "Call me crazy, but I don't want that! Not when we're just starting our life together. If anyone should be giving themselves up to die to stop Zelena, it's you because she's _your_ sister. And then once you're gone, we can have a mayor who actually cares about the people of this town and not just herself!" She looked around and said, "What? I'm not going to feel shame for saying what everyone is at least thinking."

Rumple looked at Belle in shock. "You…you actually want to start a life with me?" He asked. "You aren't just being kind and spending time with me because it's what a decent person would do?"

"Yes," Belle's jaw dropped a little. She thought about how she'd acted toward him all the time they'd known each other. She'd always been nice, friendly, even flirted. How had he not noticed? "I thought that would be obvious to you. I've wanted to for a long time, and I'm only sorry that it took horrible circumstances like this to give me the courage to say something to you, because apparently, just flirting and being nice to you at every opportunity isn't a big enough hint that I want to be more than friends with you. I'm exasperated, but I guess there's no use dwelling on it now."

"I know it's disappointing that I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts and my own fears that I didn't have the courage to tell you that I wanted to be with you before this entire mess happened," Rumple told her and kissed her hand. "If anyone should be apologizing for the delay in our relationship, it's me."

"Thank you," Belle replied and gave him a kiss, which plunged the room into awkward silence until Regina cleared her throat and spoke.

"You know I'm more than happy to help you, Gold, and I no longer want you dead, but can you repay that kindness by saving any affection you and Miss French give one another for behind closed doors?"

"That would be the decent thing to do," Rumple told her after he and Belle broke apart. "I suppose I could, if you asked nicely."

"What is it with the two of you and making me say 'Please' every time I ask for something?" Regina groaned.

"Well, even though you're the mayor, it wouldn't hurt to show that you have even a rudimentary grasp on courtesy and good manners," Belle told her. "Would it?"

"Fine," Regina told her. "Would you _please_ hold off on showing each other affection because we have more important things to be thinking about at the moment?"

"All right," Belle smiled. "Since you said 'Please'."

They then sat in awkward silence and then Emma told Neal, "You're the one who's guarding the lamp. Any ideas from you about how to get Zelena in there?"

"And Milah too," Rumple added. "Don' forget about her."

"Do you really need to put Mother in the lamp?" Neal asked. "Can't we just get her to say she's sorry and send her away so that she's no longer a bother to you and Belle?"

"If you trust her that much, I suppose we could let her live," Rumple told her. "But we still get to put Zelena in the lamp, right?"

"Yes," Neal nodded. "I won't be upset it Zelena goes into the lamp. That's the whole point of this whole operation, isn't it?"

"All right, good," Rumple said and clapped his hands. "You all work on that then, and Belle and I have other things to do."

"Good, go and do them," Regina huffed. "Just remember: Don't tell us about them."

* * *

Because Rumple no longer had his room at Granny's, Belle invited him to stay with her in her apartment over the library.

"I know you probably want something bigger, but…all I've got is my little place," she told him as they looked around her apartment, which was decorated with Rococo-inspired furniture and painted in pastels.

"No," Rumple told her. "It's fine. I think it's lovely." He went to look at her shelf of little shepherdess figurines, handling them gently. "You got these from the shop, didn't you?"

"Yes," Belle confessed. "I'm sorry. You can take them back if you want. They were just sitting there and doing nothing for anyone, and I thought they were so beautiful that I took them to look at."

"No, no, no!" Rumple shook his head. "It's fine. You can keep them if you were enjoying them. Consider them an apology gift for my lack of observation skills."

"All right," Belle smiled as he handed her the figurine to put back on the shelf. "You're so sweet! Can I get you some tea?"

"Yes, thank you," Rumple nodded and sat down. "I would love that."

So Belle got them both some tea and a plate of shortbread cookies and they sat on her couch and talked about what they were going to do next.

"I know we've spent the night together before, so I don't think we need to talk about sleeping arrangements or anything," he said. "Do we?"

"Well, I might need to get a new bed," Belle said. "Mine is a bit small."

"Oh, I'm sure it can't be that bad," Rumple told her. She took his hand and led him to her room. Her bed was a twin bed with a pink comforter and a white pillowcase with a lace border and matching sheets.

"See?" She told him. "It's small."

"Well we can squeeze together until we find something bigger for you," he said. "I won't mind."

"Are you sure?" Belle asked. "Cause I can always take the couch.

"No," Rumple shook his head, although he was thinking about how good their bedroom would look in a much bigger house with a four-poster bed in it. "I wouldn't mind at all. Especially if the alternative is you sleeping on the couch in your own home. I won't have that."

Since he was unmoving on this issue, Belle just nodded, asked him if he needed help unpacking, and then when he told her he was all right, left him to unpack his things and put them wherever he could find room. It wasn't that she was messy, it was that, as he'd already observed, her place was small, and in her desire to keep things up off the floor, they were stacked in every nook and cranny she could find.

When his things were put away, he called Belle back to the bedroom and urged her to sit next to him on the bed. "So what would you like to do now?" He asked. "Should we see if they need our help?"

"Do you _really_ want to put up with them any more today?" Belle asked.

"I would be more than happy to put up with some, but others not so much," Rumple admitted. "If they need us, they'll let me know. My son knows how to reach me."

"All right," Belle nodded and looked down at the bed. "Now, do you think we should pick sides to sleep on and figure out how in the world we'll make ourselves comfortable on so small a bed?"

"Yes," Rumple smiled. "Perhaps we should. It will be an interesting challenge."

And that was an apt description. Despite the fact that neither of them were particularly tall, it took more than one try to even make it so that both of them stayed on the bed at the same time. First, Belle accidentally knocked Rumple on the floor. Then he knocked _her_ on the floor. They thought about lying across the bed horizontally, but realized it would be hard to put the blankets on the bed that way, then at last decided that they should move the bed against the wall. That took some effort, but the results were much better than before: they both stayed on the bed, even though Belle was dismayed when Rumple was squished against the wall so that she could lie comfortably.

"This isn't going to work," she sighed.

"Yes it will," Rumple nodded. "I don't mind. Really."

"Well I do," Belle replied. "We're going to find another way to deal with this. And that's all there is to it."

"Oh?" Rumple asked. "And how will you do that? We can't get a bigger bed. There's no room."

"Maybe not in the bedroom, but just because that's what it's called doesn't mean we have to sleep there," Belle pointed out. "We could probably fit a bigger bed in the living room."

"Well isn't that odd?" Rumple mused. "But like you say, it's the only way to deal with this problem, so we might as well."

* * *

"Well, look at that," Milah observed as she and Zelena walked past the furniture store and paused when they noticed that Rumple and Belle were looking at bed. "Isn't this interesting? It's my ex-husband and Regina's maid. I wonder what they're doing buying furniture together?"

"Oh, I think it should be obvious," Zelena told her. "Did you see the way they were looking at one another when we visited Regina's house? It wasn't as if they were subtle about it."

Milah turned and smiled. "Do you really think so? What do you suppose we should do with this information?"

"I don't know," Zelena replied. "But we have to think of something to do to your darling husband. "It's just too good of an opportunity to pass up." They headed away from the store without realizing that Belle had noticed them looking just long enough to tell Rumple.

"Do you think they're up to something?" She asked after they put their order in for their new bed and left.

"They're always up to _something_ ," Rumple told her. "And now we just have to figure out what it is before they have a chance to carry it out. Especially since it might involve you, or me, or both of us."


	10. Needing To Prove Something

"So," Neal said as he and the deliverymen placed Rumple and Belle's new bed at the center of the living room where they had decided it would go because there was nowhere else in the apartment with enough room, "Mother and Zelena saw you buying this? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. "Now, I can't say for sure what it means, but they looked for a very long time, so it can't be anything good."

"Well, what are you gonna do about it then?" Neal asked his father. "Cause I doubt that even without your magic you'll just sit around helplessly and wait for the axe to fall."

"You're damn right I'm not." Rumple agreed. Then he turned to Belle. "Am I correct in guessing that you'd rather I find some way to allow you to help me deal with this instead of just insisting that you go stay with Miss Swan until all this is over?"

"I would prefer that," Belle nodded. "I want to be able to do what I can since we're in this together now. She paused. "But I would not be opposed to doing it from a safe and protected place if that would ease your mind."

"It would," Rumple nodded. "Thank you."

Belle turned to Neal then. "I know you did all this work to bring our new bed to us, but it looks like I won't be able to use it for a while. May I come stay with you and Emma?"

"Of course," Neal nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. We'll get a bed set up for you and it won't take any time at all."

"Good," Rumple nodded and took Belle's hand. "Now that I know you'll be safe, I can focus on confronting the enemy."

"And just how are you planning on doing that without magic?" Belle asked. "I wanna know."

"Well, don't worry," Rumple assured her. "I said I was going to confront the enemy. I didn't say I was going to confront the enemy _alone_. I'm gonna bring a team with me."

"You better," Belle told him. "I'm going to be worried about you otherwise." She kissed him then and afterward, left with Neal to head for his and Emma's house.

* * *

When they arrived, they found Regina and Emma chatting while Henry played a video game nearby.

"Hey, everyone," Neal said. "I brought Belle with me. Apparently, Mother and Zelena have been sniffing around and Papa's worried." Neal looked at Regina. "Do you know anything about that?"

"Not at the moment, but I suppose I could ask," Regina said. "It's been some time since I've talked to either of them."

"Good," Neal nodded. "It'll be good to have someone else besides my father in contact with them. He's got it in his head that he wants to go and finish things once and for all."

"Seriously?" Regina asked as both she and Emma got to their feet. "Has he lost his mind? He's not gonna survive if he goes up against Zelena! He's done some stupid things in his life, but this tops it." She then called for Sydney.

"Yes, my queen?" He asked, popping into the room.

"Well, Sydney, it seems like Rumplestiltskin suddenly has a death wish," she told him. "He's planning on going to fight my sister hand to hand or something equally ridiculous, and unless you help him, he's going to be killed."

Sydney chuckled a little when he heard this. "I don't know how willing he'll be to accept help from me, but I'll certainly try to do what you wish."

"And I'll come help you too," Neal told him. "If anyone knows how stubborn my father can be in cases like this, it's me."

They left then and Regina and Emma looked at Belle. "What are you going to do with yourself now?" Emma asked at last. "It's not like you to just sit around and wait, even if Rumple asks you to."

"I was thinking that next time you go and talk to Zelena and Milah, I would come with you," Belle told Regina. "I'm sure that if I just talked to Zelena at least, I could get her to leave Rumple alone. She's already sucked most of the life out of him. What more could she want?"

Regina chuckled. "A lot more than what she's got," she said. "She won't be happy until she's made him absolutely miserable and his plan is just playing into her hands. I wouldn't go and try to reason with her if I were you. It wouldn't end well."

"Maybe not," Belle said resolutely. "But I still think I should try. Violence is not the answer to everything. If I can get through to Rumple despite how much he was feared, who says I can't do that for others?"

"I do," Regina told her. "But if you want to be so foolish, that's your choice, not mine, isn't it?"

"That's right," Belle nodded. "In fact, I might not even wait until you see them next. I might as well just go now and get it over with." She strode off then, leaving Regina and Emma stunned.

"She's gonna die, isn't she?" Henry asked as he finally looked up from his video game.

"I think she's smart enough that she won't _die_ ," Emma told him. "But I definitely think something will happen to her. It always does."

* * *

"You wanna tell me why you think you can get away with going after Zelena when you have no magic?" Neal asked Rumple as he and Sydney strode through the door of the shop. "You're gonna be killed!"

"Maybe," Rumple told him. "But after all your mother and Zelena have done to me, I need to show them that I'm stronger than they are. I have to win. I'm not just gonna sit back and let them step all over me anymore."

"Don't get me wrong," Neal told him. "I know where your head is because you've thought this way for years, and I don't blame you for feeling like you need to prove yourself, but is this really the best way to do it? What if you die? What's Belle gonna do then? Do you really just want to leave her alone because you're so desperate to prove a point?"

"No!" Rumple told him and brought his cane down on the table with a loud _crack!_ "No, I don't _want_ to leave Belle alone. Never. Why do people always think that I do?"

"Because with her, you have everything you want, yet it doesn't seem to register with you," Neal pointed out. "We all think you're brave and that you've been through enough. Why isn't that enough to convince you? Why do you always have to do these ridiculous stunts that could end with you being hurt or killed?"

This gave Rumple pause. Then he said, "I need to show it to Milah and Zelena. I need to prove to them that even without my magic, I'm better than they'll ever be."

"They know that!" Neal cried. He was beginning to get a headache. "That's why they show up and always ruin things for you. Because they know you're happier and better than they'll ever be and the only way they can make themselves feel better about that is to make _you_ feel worse."

"Maybe so," Rumple nodded. "And if I make it back here alive, then I promise this'll be it. This'll be the last time I ever try and prove my bravery to anyone."

"Fine," Neal said, heaving a big sigh. "But we're coming with you in case something goes wrong. We're not letting you do something so stupid by yourself."

Rumple looked at Sydney and scowled. "Does _he_ have to come?"

"Yes," Sydney nodded. "The queen specifically requested it. She thinks you're going on a fool's errand and thought I could be of some help."

"Fine," Rumple narrowed his eyes. "Just don't get in my way." He paused. "But first, before we go, I have to get a few things. Wait for me, all right?"

He left then and Sydney and Neal eyed one another. "He just left to kill Zelena without us, didn't he?" Neal asked.

"Yes, I think he did," Sydney agreed. "Let's go stop him before he does something he's going to regret."

* * *

"Well, well, well," Zelena chuckled when Rumple showed up at the house where she and Milah had sequestered themselves. "What brings you here? Are you just going to let me kill you now and make things easier on everyone?"

"You're not gonna kill me," Rumple shook his head. "When I'm through with you, you're going to be very dead."

"Oh?" Zelena chuckled. "And just how do you plan to defeat me without any magic?" She began laughing again, over and over, and Rumple took the opportunity to whack her in the head with his cane.

"See?" Rumple asked, baring his teeth as Zelena dropped to the ground, blood dripping from her head. At first she was just stunned, but as she tried to get up again, he just kept hitting her. "This is how I plan to defeat you, and quite obviously, I don't. Need. Any. Magic!"

Then a sharp voice rang out which made him stop pummeling Zelena and turn around.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Milah asked, striding toward him.

"Committing a murder," Rumple replied brightly, the wild giggle of his escaping his lips. "And would you care to make it two? It really doesn't matter to me whether you end up alive or dead."

"Maybe not," Milah grinned. "But it would matter to your son, wouldn't it? He would just _hate_ you if you killed someone? Are you willing to risk that?"

"Yes!" Rumple nodded and raised his cane to her.

"Stop!" Neal called out, which made Rumple lower his cane and step back.

"Thank you, son," Milah smiled as Neal approached both of them.

"I didn't do it for you," Neal told her firmly. "I did it because my father is finally happy and I don't want him to ruin that just because he wants you and Zelena dead." He then saw Zelena's body on the ground. "Is she dead?" He asked Sydney.

"No," Sydney shook his head. "I think she's just unconscious. We need to take her somewhere she can be looked at."

"Good idea," Neal replied and grabbed his father's arm. "Come on, Papa. Let's go."

"But…" Rumple sighed and glared at both the women. "Oh, all right. Let's go. Sydney, you can put Zelena in the lamp when we get home, and we'll deal with Milah later."

"She's not going in the lamp," Neal told her. "You're going to let her go."

"We'll see about that," Rumple replied.

* * *

"She's not going to die," Doctor Whale announced after he finished looking at Zelena. "She's very lucky. One more hit or two and she _would_ have been dead."

Emma hugged Neal and he kissed her hair. "You showed up just in time," she said. "That's a relief."

"Yeah," Neal nodded. "No kidding." He looked at his father. "You're lucky."

"I'm not," Rumple grumbled. " _She_ is."

"Should I still send her into the lamp?" Sydney asked. "Or do you want to give her time to repent?"

"Put her in the lamp!" Rumple ordered. "Do it now!"

"Fine," Sydney replied and zapped her into the lamp just as the phone rang. Regina answered it and couldn't help but chuckle in a wry way. "All right," she said. "I'll tell him."

"What?" Rumple asked.

"That was your lovely wife," Regina said. "She knows what you did with Zelena, so she's keeping Belle with her. She didn't tell me what you need to do to get her back, so good luck with that. You should have learned to control your temper."

"Yeah," Rumple breathed as he stood up and made his way toward the door. "Tell me something I don't know."


	11. One Down

"Let me go!" Belle snapped at Milah. "Let me go right now!" She squirmed in the chair where she was tied and tried to get herself out.

"Now, now, what good would that do you?" Milah asked. "I'm trying to teach you an important lesson about what a mistake it is to let yourself get involved with my husband. I called Regina and told her to tell him what's happened to you. Now we'll be able to see if he thinks you're worth saving or not."

"Of course he'll think that!" Belle said. "He's a much better man than you seem to believe."

Milah gave a rueful chuckle. "My, my, you're the optimistic one, aren't you? If you had the sort of the life I had with him, you wouldn't be able to be so certain. He was a coward and he let down me and our son."

"I'm sorry things were terrible in your marriage, but that doesn't mean they'll turn out the same for me," Belle told her. "Cause if your marriage was so problematic, it could be that it wasn't just Rumple's fault, but yours also. It couldn't have been a picnic living with someone who was never satisfied with any effort he made and chose only to make his life miserable."

"Shut up!" Milah replied and hit her hard enough to knock her out cold. It was just after this that Rumple burst through the door with Neal (who'd insisted on coming with Rumple no matter how many times Rumple said he was going to go by himself) at his heels.

"Belle!" He cried when he saw her slumped over "What in the hell happened to her? She better not be dead!"

Milah grinned. "And so what if she is?"

"Well, what I've done to your friend Zelena I'd be more than happy to do to you," Rumple told her and started to raise his cane over his head.

"Papa, don't!" Neal cried. "Belle's still breathing."

"Luckily for you," Rumple hissed at his ex-wife while he held her by the collar. He then dropped her on the floor and attended to the much more important thing: seeing if Belle was all right.

"She looks all right," Neal said as Belle's eyes opened and she tried to focus. "I mean, other than that bump on her head. We should probably take her home and have the doctor check her out just to be sure."

"You take her," Rumple instructed and turned back to Milah, his eyes narrowed. "I have some business to attend to first."

"No," Neal told him. "You're coming home with Belle and me. Let Mother be."

"Why?" Rumple demanded. "Are you telling me that I'm supposed to leave her unpunished after what she's done?"

"No," Neal shook his head. "She and Zelena will both pay for what they've done, but it's not your place to mete out justice. Now come on!"

"R-Rumple, come on, please," Belle said in a weak voice from her place in Neal's arms. "We have to go. It…it's not worth it." She then passed out and Neal carried her out to the car, hoping with all his might that his father would follow, and not find any excuse to delay them. He didn't think Belle was in much danger, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be looked at by a doctor as soon as possible. So he was very pleased when Rumple followed him a few seconds later, watched him get Belle in the backseat of his car, and then after the two of them were settled, Neal took off for Regina's house.

* * *

"She's not dead," Neal quickly assured a worried Emma when she opened the door to let them all in. "Just unconscious. Belle took swift blow to the head, it seems."

"Well, that explains Sleeping Beauty then, doesn't it?" Zelena drawled.

"Do us all a favor and stop talking," Regina snapped.

"You know what an easy way to keep her silent would be?" Rumple said through his teeth. "Put her in the damn bottle!"

"Oh, there's an idea!" Regina smiled. "Sydney, I wish Zelena was not allowed to speak at all."

"No problem, my queen," Sydney called and soon Zelena was opening and closing her mouth, but no words were coming out."

"Couldn't you have done that on your own?" Henry asked curiously as he watched the genie sit next to Zelena and watch her like a hawk.

"Yes, but Sydney needed something to do," Regina said.

"Speaking of people needing things to do, I'll call the doctor back," Emma offered and pulled out her phone. "That bump on Belle's head looks like it could be a problem."

"You call the doctor and I'll call the sheriff," Neal said.

"Why do we need to call the sheriff?" Regina asked. "Why can't we just take care of Zelena right now? It wouldn't be difficult!"

"I'm not calling for Zelena," Neal said. "I'm calling for my mother!"

"Good luck," Rumple scoffed. "Since we didn't call from her house, she's probably long gone by now."

"That won't be a problem," Emma assured him. "We can find her."

"And when you do, be sure to hold her for kidnapping, holding Belle against her will, and that bump on the head," Rumple told her.

"Oh, we won't leave anything out," Emma promised. "Since you're going about this the proper way, we'll make sure you get your justice."

"You better," Rumple told her and took Belle's hand.

After Neal got off the phone with Doctor Whale and Emma got off the phone with David, Emma followed Neal to the door. "'Thank you' aren't words in your father's vocabulary, are they?" She asked.

"I'm sure that once Belle has been avenged and he's no longer feeling murderous, he'll thank you properly," Neal assured her. "Just be patient."

Taking the fact that Milah had most likely escaped into consideration, once Neal and Emma were gone, Regina looked at Sydney and said, "Put Zelena in the lamp now."

Zelena's eyes widened, and she obviously mouthed "Excuse me?"

"We know you're up to no good just like Milah and we really can't afford you escaping and causing more trouble, can we?" Regina asked. "Therefore, you're going to be put in a place where you can't cause trouble: the bottle." She caught Sydney's eye. "Sydney, I wish Zelena would go in the bottle and that you'd be free in her place."

"All right," Sydney smiled as he did the required magic and Zelena let out a soundless cry as she was sucked into the bottle.

"There we go," Regina smiled. "Good luck, Sydney. What are you going to do with yourself now?"

"You know, you spend all your time thinking about what you'll do when the moment comes, but when it happens, you can't think of anything," Sydney told her. "But I'll find a way to occupy myself, I'm sure." He then looked at Henry. "What do you say we go and get that bike I promised you?"

"Can we do it, Mom?" Henry asked Regina. "Please?"

"If Sydney wants to, I don't see why not," Regina replied. "Just be back in time for dinner."

"All right," Henry nodded. "We will."

It was after they left that Doctor Whale appeared. "Okay, where's the patient?" He asked.

"What took you so long to come back?" Rumple asked him irritably. "You were just here!"

"Well, in case you don't remember, you didn't zap any other doctors here besides me when you cast the curse, so I can't be running out every five minutes to make house calls," Whale reminded her. "But never mind that. I'm here now. What do we have here?"

"Belle was whacked on the head," Regina replied. "There's a bump and she's gone in and out of consciousness a few times. Does she have a concussion?"

Whale sat down next to Belle, who was waking up again, and helped her sit up with some help from Rumple, whose lap she'd been resting on.. "All right, sweetheart," he said to her as Rumple bristled at the nickname. "I hear you got a bump on your head."

"Yeah, I do," Belle nodded. "Feel around. It shouldn't be too difficult to find."

"Yep, there it is," Whale replied. "Now, when you look at me, how many of me do you see?"

"Just one of you," Belle told him. "But my head really hurts."

"That's not uncommon after being whacked the way you were," Whale told her and then got out a light to check her eyes. "Do you feel nauseous?"

"No," Belle shook her head.

"Dizzy?"

"No," Belle shook her head again.

"Stand up and take a couple of steps for me," Whale instructed. Belle did so and managed to stay on her feet. She also told him that there was no ringing in her ears , or anything else that would indicate that she'd been hit.

"Well, that's quite remarkable," Whale commented. "Based on the bump, I would have expected more after effects than just a headache, but like you say, you do seem fine." He paused. "But just to be safe, make sure you have someone keep an eye on you for the next twenty-four hours, and if you _do_ feel any of the symptoms I asked you about, make sure you come by the hospital so we can do something for you."

"Thank you, Doctor," Belle told him. "But I think I'm gonna be all right."

"I'll watch her, Victor," Rumple promised. "Just as closely as I watch you."

"Good," Victor replied, unfazed. "Cause that's what she needs right now."

They watched him go and then Belle lay her head on Rumple's shoulder as Regina headed to her room to read.

A few hours later, the phone rang. It was Neal, calling to say that Milah had been caught and brought to the sheriff's station, and that with her safely locked away, he and Emma would be home soon."

"All right," Rumple told him. "Thank you for calling, son."

"Is Belle all right?" Neal asked.

"Yes," Rumple replied. "The doctor said she made through remarkably well, but we have to look after her for the next day or so just to be sure."

"What a relief," Neal said, sounding genuinely relieved. "We'll be back in a little while."

"All right," Rumple said. "See you then, son."


	12. One To Go

"Tell me again why I'm here?" Milah requested as Neal led her into Emma's house. "Cause I really have no idea."

"Well, would you rather be back in jail?" Rumple asked dryly. "Cause we can arrange that quite easily, and since I'm not allowed to kill you, that's probably what will happen."

"No, it won't," Neal shook his head. "No one is going to jail. The point of bringing you here, Mother, is to discuss what will happen with you now that Zelena is gone."

"You mean I'm not going to be put in the lamp?" Milah asked in amazement. "I thought I would be."

"Well, if you wanna be, that's where we'll put you, but we didn't really think you'd like that."

"What are my other options besides being put in the lamp or being killed?" Milah asked. "Jail?"

"Yes," Neal nodded. "It surprises me that you seem so fixated on that."

"You can't blame me," Milah told him. "That's where I thought I was gonna go and what other options are there?"

"You could go somewhere else," Emma pointed out. "There are so many places to see. Surely you have more in mind for yourself than staying in some small town and terrorizing your ex-husband."

"Yeah," Neal agreed. "You've had your fun and put him through enough. Now it's time for you to move on and find new purpose."

To his surprise, his mother gave him a glance and then reached out and took his hand. "Are you going to stick around here?" She asked.

"He can't," Emma told her. "His job takes him everywhere. He can't stay in one place for too long because magic artifacts are always being taken into the wrong hands."

"Oh," Milah nodded. "All right. Cause I was thinking, (and if you say 'No', I'll understand), I was thinking that if you weren't busy, you could help me move somewhere and then come visit me from time to time?"

Rumple scoffed at this. "Good luck," he said. "Don't listen to her. She just wants you near her so she can turn you against me further."

"Oh, please," Milah told him. "He doesn't need _me_ to do that for him. You're seeming pretty unlikable yourself at the moment."

"Okay, okay!" Neal cried. "Both of you just shut up and let me decide who I want to be with for myself, all right?"

"All right," Milah nodded. "Sorry."

"Sorry, son," Rumple said and looked appropriately ashamed while thinking about how badly he wanted to be away from Milah and back with Belle.

"All right," Neal nodded. "Now that we've all agreed to be civil, Mother, I would love to come and visit you, on the condition that talking about Papa is off limits unless it's something nice."

"Okay," Milah nodded. "I can do that."

"And the same applies to you, Papa," Neal told Rumple. "No talking about Mother unless it's something nice."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Rumple assured him. "I've got better things in my life to talk about now than her."

"Well, good," Neal smiled. "There you go."

"Speaking of going," Emma said as she and Neal got to their feet and Milah rose too, "where would you like us to take you?"

"You're sweet, but you don't have to take me anywhere," Milah told her and produced a bean from a from the small leather bag she had fastened around her waist. "I have a friend who lives in another land and I'm going to visit them. They're very powerful, and I'm sure they'll find some way for us to communicate." She gave Neal a brief and awkward hug and then looked at Rumple. "I-I hope you have all that you want in life," she got out. "And I'm sorry for what Zelena and I did."

"Thank you," Rumple nodded. "I hope you find what it is you're looking for too."

"See now, was that so hard?" Neal asked before he and Emma took Milah out to the front of the house so she could throw the bean and be on her way.

It took them longer than expected to come back inside and when they returned, Rumple was on his feet with cane in hand, preparing to go out and look for them. "There you are," he said with a smile when he saw them. "What kept you? Were you planning on leaving with your mother, Neal?"

"No," Neal shook his head. "I was just telling both her and Emma that I've decided to take some time off from my job. I work with a few other people and they've all been begging me to take a vacation, so I'm gonna stick around a while and spend time with you, and Emma, and Henry. Maybe even think of doing something else with myself that lets me put down roots. I think I'd like that."

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "I would too." He got up and went to grab his coat. "And on that delightful note, I think I need to be on my way. I promised Belle I would return home as soon as Milah was dealt with and that I wouldn't dawdle. She was very insistent about that. Why that is, I have no idea."

"There you go being sarcastic," Neal smiled. "You want me to take you home, or do you think you can get there on your own?"

"Wait a minute!" Regina called. "I know I promised I'd stay away from all this business cause it's not my affair, but Rumple, you can't leave yet."

"Why not?" Rumple asked.

"Well, don't you want your magic back?" Regina wanted to know. "I mean, I can keep it and it wouldn't hurt me any, but…"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Give it to me. I've not had it for so long that I very nearly forgot about it."

"Okay," Regina took Rumple's hands. "Everyone cover yourselves. This might end up being a little…explosive." And indeed, the magic exchange led to a loud _boom!_ And the house shaking a bit.

"Is it over?" Emma asked afterwards from the spot where she and Neal had situated themselves under the dining room table with Neal shielding her head in case anything fell on top of it.

"Yeah, it's over," Regina confirmed. "You can come out now."

At the same time, Henry ran down the stairs, looking alarmed. "What was that?" He cried. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, everyone is all right, Henry," Rumple assured him. "Your mother was just giving me my magic back before I returned to Belle."

"Good," Henry smiled. "Everything is back to normal now."

"Yes," Rumple smiled. "I believe it is. Or at least no worse than it was before things changed. Goodbye everyone, and…thank you, Regina." He left the house then, and zapped himself to Belle's apartment.

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Belle cried when she opened the door to his knock and threw herself in his arms. "I'm so glad you're back. I was beginning to worry! You didn't do anything bad to Milah, did you?"

"No," Rumple promised, zapping himself into a more casual outfit. "You and my son, two of the people in the world who are most dear to me, asked me not to, so I kept my peace."

"Good," Belle nodded. "Thank you. And now that we've got that out of the way and you're back…did you say you wanted to talk about our new house?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Something much bigger. Unless you want to be in this tiny little apartment for the rest of your life."

"No," Belle shook her head. "I need room for our bed. And you. And my books and knickknacks. That's very important."

"Oh, of course," Rumple nodded and went to stroke some of the little Dresden shepherdess figurines that he'd given Belle at the start of this whole mess. "I remember that you like these. I think I might build you an entire room for your little collection of figurines."

"Oh, thanks, but…I don't need that many," Belle replied, blushing a little.

"It doesn't matter if you _need_ them," he told her. "They're something you clearly love and treasure, aren't they?"

"Yes," Belle admitted and came to pick one up. "I do love them. Very much." She paused. "All right. I guess I could have a roomful. If it's not too much trouble."

"Oh, no, it isn't," Rumple grinned and zapped the room full of the little figurines. "One figurine for every book. That's fair, don't you think?"

"Yes," Belle chuckled and looked around the full room in awe as he put his arms around her. "But it definitely means we'll need a bigger house." She looked him over. He was wearing jeans and his white shirt. "And while we're talking about changes, can I expect to see this look more often, even though things seem to be back to normal?"

"Yes, I think you can," Rumple assured her and kissed her hair. "Not _all_ the time mind you. Not when I have to be seen in public. But as long as it's just you and me, I don't think it would hurt."

"All right, then," Belle smiled. "Welcome home, Rumple. At least until we get a bigger house that is."

"Thank you, Belle," he told her with a smile. "Thank you very much."

 **The End**


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